NICE recommends Vifor Pharma’s Veltassa® (patiromer) for adults with hyperkalaemia in England.

Nick Hartshorne-Evans, CEO of the national heart failure charity, the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, said “It’s hard enough living with a long term condition like CKD or Heart Failure. However having the concern that medicines like RAAS inhibitors, which we know are helping to keep us alive, may have had to be taken away due to hyperkalaemia was a burden carried by all patients taking RAAS inhibitors. In a recent Pumping Marvellous Foundation survey of patients with heart failure, over 70% of responders were aware that their Heart Failure medications could affect potassium levels.  Of the responders, 35% had their Heart Failure medications changed or stopped, and 88% of that subset  felt the immediate effects of this action. Importantly, further treatment options that will allow patients to stay on RAAS inhibitors is a positive development and welcoming, considering the positive impact on proven, guideline appropriate, prognostic medicine. We all stand to benefit from today’s decision and hopefully, this will improve both the management and quality of life for people with heart failure like me.”

• Hyperkalaemia is a serious condition, which has a negative impact on quality of life and can lead to sudden death
• Up to 73 percent of advanced Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and 40 percent of chronic Heart Failure (HF) patients may be at risk of hyperkalaemia
• Traditionally, persistent hyperkalaemia has been managed by discontinuing or reducing potentially life saving medications (RAAS inhibitors) for CKD and HF
• Patiromer should be started in hospital
  
  

Read more in the today’s press release: https://pumpingmarvellous.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/December-2019-UK-NP-1900273-NEWS-RELEASE.pdf