New class of drugs offers hope for variety of conditions

LONDON A new class of drug, called vaptans, has been developed with the potential to treat a wide variety of conditions ranging from painful periods to brain hemorrhages, according to The Lancet.

Vaptans target a hormone system involved in the control of blood flow and water retention in the body. The drugs can be taken by mouth or injection and work by interfering with the hormone vasopressin.

Various subclasses of the drug have been developed or are in development, scientists reported in the journal. One, known as relcovaptan, by Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals, has shown positive results in the treatment of painful periods, Raynaud's disease, which causes loss of blood in the fingertips, and tocolysis (premature labor leading to premature birth).

A second vaptans subclass includes the drugs mozavaptan and tolvaptan by Otsuka Pharma, lixivaptan by Biogen and Cardiokine, and satavaptan by Sanofi-Aventis. These drugs induce water loss without depleting the body of mineral salts, which often occurs with diuretics.

These drugs are being developed to treat a number of conditions, including kidney failure, kidney damage related to diabetes, cirrhosis and depression.

Preliminary work has also been carried out on the use of vaptans for treating glaucoma, Meniere's disease—a disorder affecting balance—brain hemorrhages and small-cell cancer.