FDA approves Adcirca tablets

SILVER SPRING, Md. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

United Therapeutics Corp. announced Tuesday the approval of Adcirca (tadalafil) tablets, designed to improve exercise ability in WHO Group I PAH patients. The active ingredient is the same as the one in Eli Lilly & Co.’s Cialis, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction. United Therapeutics licensed the rights to develop and market Adcirca in the United States from Lilly.

“Today, thanks to the clinical development efforts led by Eli Lilly & Co., we are thrilled to make available an effective, convenient and economical therapy for PAH patients,” United Therapeutics chairman and CEO Martine Rothblatt said.