ABSTRACT
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening disease characterized by an increase in pulmonary artery pressure. Excessive vasoconstriction and an abnormal remodeling of the pulmonary vessels cause PH, which leads to a progressive increase in pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular rigidity. The result is impediment of ejection of blood from the right ventricle, with the eventual development of right heart failure, which can be fatal. PH is complex and multifactorial, thus making it very challenging for development of novel pharmacological strategies to treat it. Targeted aerosol drug delivery is a rapidly advancing route for novel respiratory pharmaceuticals. PH has few therapies available, but because it is a lung disease, it is an optimum candidate for targeted therapeutic intervention through inhalation. In Chapter 19, the molecular aspects that lead to the development of the disease, the pathobiology, current approved drugs, and potential new therapies are described extensively. Furthermore, the importance of treating PH through the pulmonary route is defined comprehensively.
