Key takeaways
Uptravi (selexipag) and Adempas (riociguat) are both medications used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but they have some key differences. Uptravi is a prostacyclin agonist that works by relaxing the blood vessels in your lungs, and it is taken twice a day either orally or through an IV. In contrast, Adempas is a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator that also relaxes blood vessels but is taken every 8 hours and is only available in tablet form. Adempas is also used to treat chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), while Uptravi is not. Adempas has a significant risk of causing severe harm to unborn babies, so it is only available to females through a special REMS program, whereas Uptravi does not have this restriction. Common side effects for Uptravi include headache, diarrhea, and nausea, while Adempas also commonly causes a headache as well as indigestion, and dizziness. Additionally, Adempas can cause severe bleeding and dangerously low blood pressure, which are less common with Uptravi.
