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Tracleer (Bosentan) by Actelion
Digital Ulcers, Pulmonary Fibrosis,
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), Raynaud's, Scleroderma Renal Crisis, and Skin Fibrosis
Overview
Tracleer® (bosentan) is made by Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The medication was initially developed for treatment of pulmonary hypertension, but has since proven useful in treating a variety of systemic scleroderma symptoms.
Tracleer (Bosentan) is proving useful for a variety of scleroderma symptoms, including pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, Raynaud's, and skin fibrosis. Bosentan is in a class of drugs called endothelin receptor antagonists by preventing an overproduction of endothelin.
Therefore, scleroderma researchers suggest that an early use of this drug should be considered for systemic scleroderma patients.
Tracleer (Bosentan) Drug Information including precautions, side effects and interactions. It may cause serious liver problems. Liver function should be monitored closely to decrease the risk of liver-related side effects. MedicineNet.
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Digital Ulcers
Tracleer is approved for the treatment of digital ulcers.
Blood flow in the hands of a predefined homogeneous systemic sclerosis population: the presence of digital ulcers (DUs) and the improvement with bosentan. No relationship was found between blood flow in the hands and the presence of DUs. After 12 weeks of bosentan treatment, blood flow had increased in the SSc patients but had not normalized to that of healthy subjects. PubMed, Rheumatology, 2014 Aug 22. (Also see Digital Ulcers)
Longterm Treatment with Endothelin (ET-1) Receptor Antagonist Bosentan and Iloprost (ILO) Improves Fingertip Blood Perfusion in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Long term treatment of SSc patients with ET-1 antagonism, in combination with ILO, seems to increase fingertip blood perfusion, as well as both capillary dilation capacity and number. PubMed, J Rheumatol, 2014 Apr 1. (Also see Treatment for Digital Ulcers: Iloprost)
Bosentan and sildenafil: successful treatment in a sclerodermic patient with refractory ulcers. Treatment resulted in complete healing of old ulcers both to upper and lower limbs and allowed the interruption of intravenous therapies. Reumatisimo, 2013-05-27. (Also see Sildenafil/Viagra)
(Case Report) Successful Treatment with Bosentan of Lower Extremity Ulcers in a Scleroderma Patient. Lower extremity ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis, refractory to conventional treatments, can be responsive to treatment with bosentan, especially when the ulcers are surrounded with cyanosis. Case Reports in Medicine, Vol 2013. (Also see Digital Ulcers)
Significant attenuation of macrovascular involvement by bosentan in a patient with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc) with multiple digital ulcers and gangrene. Stenosis of the ulnar artery, evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography, was attenuated by the bosentan treatment, suggesting that bosentan exerts a reverse remodeling effect against the pathological organic changes of arteries in SSc. Yohei Ichimura, Modern Rheumatology, March 15, 2011. (Also see Gangrene)
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Heart Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis
Tracleer is approved for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
Bosentan increases myocardial perfusion and function in systemic sclerosis: a magnetic resonance imaging and Tissue-Doppler echography study. Short-term treatment with bosentan simultaneously improves myocardial perfusion and function, as evaluated by highly sensitive and quantitative methods, in patients with SSc. Whether additional remodeling effect may be observed after longterm treatment with bosentan remains to be determined. J Rheumatol. 2006 Dec;33(12):2464-9.
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)
Tracleer is approved for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary (lung) fibrosis, is a scarring of the lungs, and is the consequence of untreated pulmonary inflammation (alveolitis). It is often also referred to as interstitial lung disease. ISN.
Randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled trial of bosentan in interstitial lung disease secondary to systemic sclerosis. Although many outcome variables were stable, bosentan did not reduce the frequency of clinically important worsening. These data do not support the use of endothelin receptor antagonists as therapy for ILD secondary to SSc. Arthritis Rheum, 2010 Mar 26;62(7):2101-2108. (Also see Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatments)
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Pulmonary Hypertension (PH, PAH)
Tracleer (Bosentan) is approved for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
| SureSteps™ is a free patient support program for people who are on Tracleer (Bosentan). | Welcome to Sure Steps Connect. A special, LIVE conference series answering the questions of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. A series of unique interactive conferences offered exclusively to members of the Sure Steps ™ community. Several informative conference programs have been created and we invite you to participate in as many as you choose. |
Long-term outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension in the first-line epoprostenol or first-line bosentan era. First-line epoprostenol treatment may lead to greater improvement in exercise capacity than first-line bosentan. However, these greater exercise improvements did not translate into longer time to disease progression or survival. Jacobs W. (PubMed) J Heart Lung Transplant, 2010 Jun 24. (Also see Flolan)
Real-World Bosentan Therapy Successful in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH): Presented at ATS. Real-life experiences in treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension with bosentan appears to provide similar efficacy as seen in clinical trials -- despite patients being somewhat older and having more scleroderma. Ed Susman. Doctor's Guide. 05/17/10.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is high blood pressure in the arteries which take blood between the heart and lungs. It can be caused by scleroderma and also by other diseases, such as pulmonary heart disease, pulmonary artery blood clots, mitral valve narrowing, and cirrhosis of the liver. ISN. (Also see What is Scleroderma?)
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Raynaud's
Bosentan study for Raynaud's shows positive results.
Raynaud's is an extreme spasm of blood vessels in response to cold or stress. The fingers and/or toes become white and/or blue, and may become red on re-warming. (Also see Raynaud's Treatments)
Effect of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan on Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis: a double-blind prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study. Bosentan is not effective in SSc-related Raynaud's without pre-existing digital ulcers, but it might benefit functional impairment in those patients. Van Anh Nguyen and Klaus Eisendle. Rheumatology Advance Access. 12/29/09. (Also see Raynaud's Treatments)
Bosentan for Scleroderma Renal Crisis
Clinical Trial in France
Effect of Bosentan in Scleroderma Renal Crisis (ScS-REINBO). This French clinical trial will be completed in June 2014. ClinicalTrials.gov.
Tracleer (Bosentan) for Systemic Scleroderma Skin Fibrosis
Tracleer study for systemic scleroderma skin fibrosis shows positive results.
Skin fibrosis is a process that follows chronic inflammation. Fibrotic tissue is like a scar tissue, thick, and rigid, due to an excess accumulation of protein below the skin. The diagnosis is clinical, and requires no laboratory or special testing. (Photo: Sclerodactyly, the culminating result of fibrosis affecting the hands of a systemic scleroderma patient.)
Also See
Systemic Scleroderma Symptoms (Main list; treatments are listed on each symptom page.)