Adempas drug class?

What drug class is Adempas (riociguat) in?

Adempas (riociguat) is a medication in the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator class. [1]

What does the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator class do?

Riociguat increases signaling in the nitric oxide pathway by stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase, which helps raise cyclic GMP levels in blood vessels. This leads to vasodilation (widening of blood vessels). [1]

What conditions is this drug class used for?

Adempas is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), including cases that are persistent or cannot be treated with surgery. [1]

How is this class different from PDE-5 inhibitors (common PAH drugs)?

Both sGC stimulators and PDE-5 inhibitors affect the nitric oxide–cGMP signaling pathway used in pulmonary hypertension, but they act at different steps. Riociguat directly stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase, while PDE-5 inhibitors block breakdown of cyclic GMP. [1]

Are there any major safety/interaction cautions tied to this class?

Riociguat has important interaction cautions, including not using it with PDE-5 inhibitors. [1]

Sources

1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/