Etripamil, a new nasal spray drug, is offering hope to patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), a condition that affects approximately two million Americans. PSVT is characterized by sporadic episodes of tachyarrhythmia that require intravenous medications, usually administered in an emergency department. The new drug provides a more convenient and cost-effective solution, as it can be self-administered by patients at home.
Results from the recent RAPID trial demonstrated that etripamil can convert patients to sinus rhythm faster and with greater efficacy than placebo, with no serious adverse events reported. The study met its primary endpoint, with 64.3 percent of patients receiving etripamil converting to sinus rhythm within 30 minutes compared to 31.2 percent on placebo. Median time to conversion was 17.2 minutes for patients treated with etripamil – three times faster than placebo at 53.5 minutes. Overall, the majority of adverse events were reported as mild to moderate. This breakthrough provides hope for PSVT patients seeking a more accessible treatment option, with the potential to transform care for this condition.
References:
1. Stambler BS, Plat F, Sager PT, et al. First Randomized, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Study of Self-Administered Intranasal Etripamil for Acute Conversion of Spontaneous Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (NODE-301). Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2022 Dec;15(12):e010915. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.122.010915. Epub 2022 Nov 14. PMID: 34778571.
2. American Heart Association 2022 Annual Meeting – Scientific Session. Self-administered Etripamil for Termination of Spontaneous Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia Primary Analysis from the RAPID Study.