Iloprost, sold under the brand name Ventavis among others, is a medication used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon, frostbite, and other conditions in which the blood vessels are constricted and blood cannot flow to the tissues.[4] Iloprost is a prostacyclin mimetic.[1]
For pulmonary arterial hypertension, iloprost is given via inhalation. Iloprost works by opening (dilating) the blood vessels to allow the blood to flow through them. It was developed by the pharmaceutical company Schering AG and is marketed by Bayer Schering Pharma AG in the European Union and by Actelion Pharmaceuticals in the US.
Medical uses
In the US, iloprost is indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (WHO Group 1) to improve a composite endpoint consisting of exercise tolerance, symptoms (NYHA Class), and lack of deterioration.[1]