What is OPSUMIT®?
OPSUMIT® is a prescription medicine used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group 1). PAH is high blood pressure in the arteries of your lungs. OPSUMIT® can:
The most important information about OPSUMIT® (macitentan)
Do not take OPSUMIT® if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. OPSUMIT® can cause serious birth defects if taken while pregnant.
Women who are able to get pregnant must have negative pregnancy tests:
PAH: A Closer Look
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group 1) is high blood pressure in the arteries of your lungs. It’s a serious condition that can make it difficult for blood to flow through your lungs. This can force your heart to work harder than normal.1-5
PAH is a chronic and progressive disease. This means that over time, PAH will get worse, and it may limit your physical activities.4,5 You play an important role in your care. By actively monitoring your symptoms and your ability to perform
How does PAH affect your heart and the arteries of your lungs?
PAH involves a change in the levels of several naturally occurring substances in your body. Over time, this can cause the arteries in your lungs to become narrow, thick, and stiff. These changes make it difficult for blood to flow. As a result, your heart must work harder than normal to pump blood through the arteries of your lungs.2-5
Healthy artery
Artery thickened as a result of PAH
Over time, this can cause the muscles of your heart to thicken. This can make it more difficult for your heart to pump blood to your body. Some examples of these changes are shown below.4-6
Healthy heart
Heart with PAH
What can cause PAH?
PAH is a rare disease, and not all causes are known. While PAH can affect people at any age, the average patient is diagnosed in their late 40s. Although anyone can develop PAH, it affects almost 4 times as many women as men.7
A number of things can cause PAH. These include inherited genetic conditions, other diseases, and outside factors. There are also cases where the cause of PAH is unknown.7
| PAH Cause8 | Description |
|---|---|
| Idiopathic | Idiopathic means the cause is unknown |
| Familial or heritable | This means the disease runs in a family |
| Connective tissue disorders (CTD) | PAH associated with CTD |
| Congenital heart disease (CHD) | PAH associated with CHD with repaired shunts |
| Other causes | PAH associated with other diseases and conditions |