Epoprostenol Intravenous and Megestrol Acetate

• Generic Name: epoprostenol
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Flolan, Veletri

Epoprostenol injection is used to treat the symptoms of primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension in patients who have already been treated with other medicines that did not work well. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure that occurs in the main artery that carries blood from the right side of the heart (the ventricle) to the lungs. When the smaller blood vessels in the lungs become more resistant to blood flow, the right ventricle must work harder to pump enough blood through the lungs.

Epoprostenol belongs to a group of agents called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins occur naturally in the body and are involved in many biological functions. Epoprostenol works by relaxing blood vessels and increasing the supply of blood to the lungs, reducing the workload of the heart.

Epoprostenol is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: megestrol
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Megace ES, Megace

Palliative management of recurrent, inoperable, or metastatic breast cancer.

Estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer is more likely to respond to megestrol therapy.

Does not replace appropriate methods of treatment of advanced breast cancer (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy).

Not recommended for treatment of other types of neoplastic disease; use only for treatment of breast cancer or endometrial cancer.

Palliative management of recurrent, inoperable, or metastatic endometrial carcinoma.

Does not replace appropriate methods of treatment of advanced endometrial carcinoma (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy).

Not recommended for treatment of other types of neoplastic disease; use only for treatment of endometrial cancer or breast cancer.

Management of anorexia, cachexia, or an unexplained, substantial weight loss in HIV-infected individuals (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Also has been used to stimulate appetite and promote weight gain in a limited number of patients with cachexia associated with neoplastic disease.

Therapy should be initiated only after treatable causes (e.g., possible malignancies; systemic infections; GI disorders affecting absorption; endocrine, renal, or psychiatric diseases) of the condition have been evaluated.

Manufacturer states that megestrol should not be used prophylactically to avoid weight loss.