General Information
Macitentan belongs to a class of drugs called endothelin receptor antagonists, which act to relax the arteries connecting the heart to the lungs. It is used to block the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a chronic, debilitating lung disease. In PAH, high blood pressure in the lungs may cause shortness of breath and physical limitations, and can lead to death or the need for lung transplantation. In a two-year study, treatment with macitentan was shown to significantly reduce the chances for “worsening events” such as death due to respiratory failure, the need for lung transplantation, and other symptoms indicating the significant progression of the disease.