Vericiguat - soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, in therapy of heart failure

Chronic heart failure is associated with reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) in the myocardial tissue and in the kidney, leading to fibrosis, inflammation and pathologic hypertrophy. It is possible to stimulate directly NO-cGMP signaling pathway by stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) that represents an endogenous receptor for NO. Direct sGC stimulator vericiguat (Verquvo (R)) is a drug developed specifically for patients with chronic heart failure and that has minimal hypotensive effects, has no significant drug interactions and can be used also in advanced renal dysfunction. Vericiguat was effectively tested in population of patients with worsening heart failure (VICTORIA global trial) in which it reduced risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. Vericiguat represents a new therapeutic option for heart failure, especially in subjects where other therapies are limited by hypotension or development of cardiorenal syndrome.