My father is a heart patient and he has been going to a cardiologist for regular follow-ups. Recently, the cardiologist changed one of his medicines and prescribed Uperio 50mg, also known as Sacubitiril or Valsartan. Upon visiting the local pharmacy I found out that the drug is not available in 50mg variant and is only available in 100mg or above. This was quiet alarming as a number of patients are going through cardiovascular diseases and the dosage varies as per the severity of the disease.
After doing some research of my own, I found out that Uperio in Pakistan (Global Name Entresto) is the first and only FDA approved medicine of its kind, representing a breakthrough in heart failure treatment. Uperio is a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in people with certain types of long-lasting chronic heart failure. It is expected to change the management of patients with heart failure and reduce ejection fraction for years to come. I urge the relevant authorities, regulators and Government officials to look into this.
KIRAN FAROOQ,
Karachi.