Epoprostenol (Intravenous)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 4, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Flolan
• Veletri

Available Dosage Forms:

• Powder for Solution

Therapeutic Class: Peripheral Vasodilator

Pharmacologic Class: Prostaglandin

Uses for epoprostenol

Epoprostenol injection is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which is the high blood pressure that occurs in the main artery that carries blood from the right side of the heart (the ventricle) to the lungs. When the smaller blood vessels in the lungs become more resistant to blood flow, the right ventricle must work harder to pump enough blood through the lungs. It works by relaxing these blood vessels and increasing the supply of blood to the lungs, which reduces the workload of the heart.

Epoprostenol belongs to a group of agents called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins occur naturally in the body and are involved in many biological functions. Epoprostenol works by relaxing blood vessels and increasing the supply of blood to the lungs, reducing the workload of the heart.

Epoprostenol is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using epoprostenol

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For epoprostenol, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to epoprostenol or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of epoprostenol injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of epoprostenol injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving epoprostenol injection.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking epoprostenol, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using epoprostenol with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Abrocitinib

Using epo...