Breakthrough Drug Approved to Treat Pulmonary Embolism, Offering Better Survival Rates for Patients

Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that primarily affects young people, particularly women, with the peak incidence occurring between the ages of 30-40. However, it can also occur at later ages. Patients with pulmonary embolism are categorized based on function levels and risk levels, ranging from 1 (highest function) to 4 (lowest function).

For a decade, there were no advancements in the treatment of pulmonary embolism, with existing treatments mainly focused on alleviating symptoms. However, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a groundbreaking drug called sotatracept, the first of its kind to treat the disease itself, rather than just symptoms.

Sotatracept works with a unique mechanism by inhibiting the component “activin” to change the mechanism of the cells that drive the disease. This approval marks a significant improvement for patients with pulmonary hypertension, offering better survival rates, delaying disease progression, and reducing the risk of worsening events or death by approximately 84%. According to Prof. Mordechai Kramer, director of the pulmonary department at Blinson Hospital, pulmonary hypertension is a serious and life-threatening disease, and sotatracept provides new hope for patients who have not responded well to existing treatments. The Ministry of Health usually approves drugs that have been approved by the FDA after reviewing the research findings submitted by the company.