Authors' recommendations: Treatment guidelines for IPAH reserved combination therapy for more severe cases that fail to respond to monotherapy. As well, it is recommended that combination therapy take place under the supervision of experienced PAH-specialty practitioners or within the context of clinical trials. From the limited number of published RCTs, it appears that there may be some additional benefit from combinations of agents in PAH, but these studies have been relatively short in duration, and two of the three studies included only small numbers of patients. There are a number of RCTs of various combinations of agents underway that may help to clarify the clinical benefit of this treatment approach. Until these studies are completed, there may be insufficient evidence to make broad policy decisions about combination therapy in PAH. Such decisions may be best considered on a case-by-case basis. When additional evidence from the clinical trials currently underway becomes available, there could be some potential for expanded use of combination therapy if results are positive.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/M0004_Drugs_for_Pulmonary_Arterial_Hypertension_tr_e.pdf

Year Published: 2009

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)