Poractant alfa

Poractant alfa
Clinical data
Trade names Curosurf
AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph
Pregnancy
category
  • N
Routes of
administration		 endotracheal
ATC code none
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
CAS Number 129069-19-8 YesY
ChemSpider none

Poractant alfa is a pulmonary surfactant sold under the brand name Curosurf by Chiesi Farmaceutici. Poractant alfa is an extract of natural porcine lung surfactant. As with other surfactants, marked improvement on oxygenation may occur within minutes of the administration of poractant alfa.

Pharmacology

Poractant alfa is measured into vials of 80 mg of surfactant (extract) that includes 76 mg of phospholipids and 1 mg of protein of which 0.2 mg is surfactant protein B (SP-B).

The amount of phospholipids is calculated from the content of phosphorus and contains 55 mg of phosphotidylcholine of which 30 mg is dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine.

Considerations

Pulmonary hemorrhage

Pulmonary hemorrhage is a known complication of premature birth and very low birth-weight.

Other adverse effects

Transient episodes of bradycardia, decreased oxygen saturation, hypotension, or endotracheal tube blockage may occur.

Mechanism of action

Endogenous pulmonary surfactant reduces surface tension at the air-liquid interface of the alveoli during mechanical ventilation and stabilizes the alveoli against collapse at resting transpulmonary pressures.[1]

A deficiency of pulmonary surfactant in preterm infants results in respiratory distress syndrome. Poractant alfa compensates for the surfactant deficiency and restores surface activity to the lung tissue.

Pharmacodynamics

Currently there is no human pharmacokinetic information available, only animal models have been published.

References

  1. ↑ Ainsworth SB, Beresford MW, Milligan DW, et al, “Pumactant and Poractant Alfa for Treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Neonates Born at 25-29 Weeks' Gestation: A Randomised Trial, Lancet, 2000, 355(9213):1387-92.

As with other surfactants, marked improvements in oxygenation may occur within minutes of the administration of Curosurf.

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