Intranasal Calcium-Channel Blocker Shows Promise for Acute Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardias (SVTs) are quite common. They include arrhythmias such as atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia, and atrial tachycardia, all of which can be terminated with intravenous adenosine and chronically treated with oral beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and digoxin. However, the slow absorption of these oral drugs generally precludes their use for acute treatment, and use of intravenous adenosine for acute termination usually requires an emergency department visit. A preliminary study of the novel intranasally delivered calcium-channel blocker etripamil, currently not approved by the FDA, showed that it could terminate SVTs.

In this industry-sponsored, r…