Sitaxsentan Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Sitaxsentan may benefit patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension by blocking the vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-A while maintaining the vasodilator/clearance functions of endothelin-B receptors. Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension that was idiopathic, related to connective tissue disease or congenital heart disease, were randomized to receive placebo (n = 60), sitaxsentan 100 mg (n = 55), or sitaxsentan 300 mg (n = 63) orally once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in peak VO(2) at Week 12. Secondary endpoints included 6-minute walk, New York Heart Association class, VO(2) at anaerobic threshold, VE per carbon dioxide production at anaerobic threshold, hemodynamics,…