A phase 3 randomized trial found that sotatercept, when added to background therapy, reduced early clinical worsening in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosed within the past year. Over a median 13 months, 11% of sotatercept-treated patients experienced clinical worsening compared with 37% of those receiving placebo. Improvements in exercise capacity, NT-proBNP levels, and risk scores also favored sotatercept. Common adverse events included epistaxis and telangiectasia, though overall safety was similar between groups. Lead author Vallerie V. McLaughlin, MD, of the University of Michigan, said sotatercept “is proposed to address one of the underlying causes of the disease.” The trial, funded by Merck Sharp and Dohme, ended early following positive findings from previous studies, limiting long-term safety assessment.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine