BRIEF—NICE recommends Vifor's Veltassa for hyperkalemia

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Vifor Pharma’s Veltassa (patiromer) for adults with hyperkalemia in England.

Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening condition, which can cause fatal cardiac arrest and muscle paralysis, due to elevated levels of potassium in the blood. It is often a consequence of the use of important blood pressure treatments, known as RAAS inhibitors.

Historically, persistent hyperkalemia has been managed by reducing the dosage or by discontinuing these medicines, despite evidence of improvement of cardiovascular deaths and worsening of renal function.

This makes it welcome for English clinicians and patients to have a new option such as Veltassa, which releases small polymers in the gut to soak up dangerous levels of potassium, that cause hyperkalemia.