New Rx to Treat Very Low Blood Pressure

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new medication to treat very low blood pressure.

This new approval is called Giapreza (angiotensin II). The FDA approved it to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock.

Shock occurs when blood pressure drops so low that vital organs like the brain and kidneys cannot receive enough blood flow to work properly. Shock is a critical condition.

"Shock, the inability to maintain blood flow to vital tissues, can result in organ failure and death," said Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director of the FDA's Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products, in a press release. "There is a need for treatment options for critically ill hypotensive patients who do not adequately respond to available therapies."

The approval of Giapreza comes after a clinical trial that evaluated over 320 patients with shock and critically low blood pressure. Patients treated with Giapreza were more likely to respond than patients who were given a placebo. When Giapreza was given with standard treatments used to raise blood pressure, it effectively increased blood pressure, according to the FDA.

Giapreza is available as an injection and is to be administered by a health care provider. This medication can lead to dangerous blood clots. That's why patients receiving Giapreza will typically receive treatment to prevent blood clots.

The FDA granted approval of this medication to La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company.

Written By Anyssa Garza, PharmD, BCMAS