Vericiguat

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

What is Vericiguat?[edit | edit source]

  • Vericiguat VERQUVO is a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, used in adults who are having symptoms of their chronic (long-lasting) heart failure.


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What are the uses of this medicine?[edit | edit source]

This medicine is used in adults who are having symptoms of their chronic (long-lasting) heart failure, who have had a recent hospitalization or the need to receive intravenous (IV) medicines and have an ejection fraction (amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat) of less than 45 percent:

  • to reduce the risk of dying and
  • to reduce the need to be hospitalized


How does this medicine work?[edit | edit source]

  • Vericiguat is a stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), an important enzyme in the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway.
  • When NO binds to sGC, the enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a second messenger that plays a role in the regulation of vascular tone, cardiac contractility, and cardiac remodeling.
  • Heart failure is associated with impaired synthesis of NO and decreased activity of sGC, which may contribute to myocardial and vascular dysfunction.
  • By directly stimulating sGC, independently of and synergistically with NO, vericiguat augments levels of intracellular cGMP, leading to smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation.


Who Should Not Use this medicine ?[edit | edit source]

This medicine cannot be used in patients:


What drug interactions can this medicine cause?[edit | edit source]

  • Avoid Concomitant use of VERQUVO with PDE-5 inhibitors is not recommended because of the potential for hypotension.
  • VERQUVO is contraindicated in patients with concomitant use of other soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators.


Is this medicine FDA approved?[edit | edit source]

  • It was approved for use in the United States in 2021.


How should this medicine be used?[edit | edit source]

Recommended Dosage

  • The recommended starting dose of VERQUVO is 2.5 mg orally once daily with food.
  • Double the dose of VERQUVO approximately every 2 weeks to reach the target maintenance dose of 10 mg once daily, as tolerated by the patient.


Administration

  • Take VERQUVO exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
  • Take VERQUVO 1 time each day with food.
  • Swallow VERQUVO tablets whole. If you are not able to swallow the tablet whole, you may crush VERQUVO tablets and mix with water right before taking your dose.
  • Your healthcare provider may change your dose — when you first start taking VERQUVO to find the best dose for you and how well you tolerate VERQUVO.
  • If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember on the same day of the missed dose. Do not take 2 doses of VERQUVO on the same day to make up for a missed dose.
  • If you take too much VERQUVO, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.


What are the dosage forms and brand names of this medicine?[edit | edit source]

This medicine is available in fallowing doasage form:

  • As Tablets: 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg

This medicine is available in fallowing brand namesː

  • VERQUVO


What side effects can this medication cause?[edit | edit source]

The most common side effects of this medicine include:

  • low blood pressure
  • low red blood cells (anemia)


What special precautions should I follow?[edit | edit source]

  • VERQUVO may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.
  • Advise females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to a fetus.
  • Obtain a pregnancy test before the start of treatment.
  • Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with VERQUVO and for at least one month after the final dose.


What to do in case of emergency/overdose?[edit | edit source]

  • In the event of an overdose, hypotension may result.
  • Symptomatic treatment should be provided.
  • VERQUVO is unlikely to be removed by hemodialysis because of high protein binding.


Can this medicine be used in pregnancy?[edit | edit source]

  • VERQUVO may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman and is contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • There are no available data with VERQUVO use in pregnant women.


Can this medicine be used in children?[edit | edit source]

  • Safety and effectiveness of VERQUVO have not been established in pediatric patients.


What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?[edit | edit source]

  • Store VERQUVO at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).




Vericiguat Resources

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD