Sacubitril (;

INN Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

) is an

antihypertensive Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Evidence suggests tha ...

drug used in combination with

valsartan Valsartan, sold under the brand name Diovan among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It belongs to a class of medications referred to as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) ...

. The combination drug

sacubitril/valsartan Sacubitril/valsartan, sold under the brand name Entresto, is a fixed-dose combination medication for use in heart failure. It consists of the neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril and the angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan. The combination is so ...

, known during trials as ''LCZ696'' and marketed under the brand name ''Entresto'', is a treatment for

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

. It was approved under the FDA's priority review process for use in heart failure on July 7, 2015.

Side effects

Sacubitril increases levels of

bradykinin Bradykinin (BK) (Greek brady-, slow; -kinin, kīn(eîn) to move) is a peptide that promotes inflammation. It causes arterioles to dilate (enlarge) via the release of prostacyclin, nitric oxide, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor and ...

, which is responsible for the

edema Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...

seen sometimes in patients with the medication. This is why the medication is not recommended for patients with a history of

pulmonary edema Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive edema, liquid accumulation in the parenchyma, tissue and pulmonary alveolus, air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia an ...

with the usage of

ACE inhibitor Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are a class of medication used primarily for the treatment of hypertension, high blood pressure and heart failure. They work by causing relaxation of blood vessels as well as a decrease i ...

Mechanism of action

Sacubitril is a

prodrug A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...

that is activated to

sacubitrilat Sacubitrilat (INN; or LBQ657) is the active metabolite of the antihypertensive drug sacubitril, which is used in the treatment of heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of sign ...

(LBQ657) by de-

ethylation In organic chemistry, an ethyl group (abbr. Et) is an alkyl substituent with the formula , derived from ethane (). ''Ethyl'' is used in the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry's nomenclature of organic chemistry for a saturated t ...

via esterases. Sacubitrilat inhibits the enzyme

neprilysin Neprilysin (), also known as membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME), neutral endopeptidase (NEP), cluster of differentiation 10 (CD10), and common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MME'' ge ...

, which is responsible for the degradation of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide, two blood pressure–lowering

peptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A ...

s that work mainly by reducing blood volume. In addition, neprilysin degrades a variety of peptides including

, an inflammatory mediator. Sacubitril activation

References

Antihypertensive agents Biphenyls Carboxylate esters Ethyl esters Prodrugs Butyramides Carboxylic acids {{cardiovascular-drug-stub

Side effects

Mechanism of action

See also

References