New Drugs You Are Going to Read About: Serelaxin, Ularitide, TRV027

Nitrovasodilators have long been used as first-line treatment for hypertensive acute heart failure (AHF). Although effective for BP control and symptom alleviation, this class of agents has never been shown to improve mortality or prevent hospital readmissions. Consequently, there has been tremendous interest in development of newer vasodilators with more beneficial therapeutic profiles. In this review, we focus on three of the most promising agents currently being studied: serelaxin, ularitide, and TRV027. While regulatory approval has yet to be obtained, should they prove beneficial in on-going trials, we are looking at a new era of drug therapy that could supplant more conventional treatments and broaden the horizon for management of patients with AHF.