Vericiguat

Pronunciation: VER-i-SIG-ue-at
Generic name: vericiguat
Brand name: Verquvo
Dosage form: oral tablets
Drug class: Vasodilators

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jul 15, 2024.

What is vericiguat?

Vericiguat (brand name Verquvo) is an sGC stimulator that may be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in adults:

• who have had a recent hospitalization or the need to receive intravenous (IV) diuretics
• and who have symptoms of chronic (long-lasting) HF and an ejection fraction (amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat) of less than 45 percent.

Vericiguat works by directly stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), an important enzyme in the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway. When NO binds to sGC, the enzyme catalyzes the production of intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). This second messenger plays a role in the regulation of blood vessel flexibility (vascular tone), heartbeats (cardiac contractility), and changes to the structure of the heart (cardiac remodeling). Heart failure is associated with decreases in NO and reduced sGC activity, which may contribute to cardiovascular disease. The mechanism of action of vericiguat (Verquvo), is to directly stimulate sGC, which increases intracellular cGMP levels, leading to smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation.

Vericiguat was FDA-approved on January 19, 2021, under the brand name Verquvo. There is no Verquvo generic available.

Vericiguat side effects

The most common side effects of vericiguat include:

• low blood pressure
• low red blood cells (anemia).

Serious side effects and warnings

Vericiguat may cause serious side effects, including:

Birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Females must not be pregnant when they start taking vericiguat. For females who can get pregnant, your healthcare provider will do a pregnancy test to make sure that you are not pregnant before you start taking vericiguat. You must use effective forms of birth control during treatment and for 1 month after you stop treatment with vericiguat. Talk to your healthcare provider about forms of birth control that you may use to prevent pregnancy during treatment with vericiguat.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you are pregnant during treatment with vericiguat.

These are not all the possible side effects of vericiguat. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Related/similar drugs

Verquvo

Before taking

Do not take vericiguat if you:

• Are taking another soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, such as riociguat or Adempas. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if you are taking an sGC medicine
• Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Before you take vericiguat, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if vericiguat is safe and effective in children.

Pregnancy

Vericiguat can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not get pregnant while taking Vericiguat. If you can get pregnant, you'll need a pregnancy test before starting vericiguat and you must use birth control during and for one month after treatment.

Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. There is a Pregnancy Surveillance Program that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to vericiguat during pregnancy, by calling 1-877-888-4231 or at https://pregnancyreporting.verquvo-us.com.

Breastfeeding

It is not known if vericiguat passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed if you take vericiguat and talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment.

How should I take vericiguat?

Take vericiguat exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to. Your healthcare provider may change your dose when you first start taking vericiguat to find the best dose for you and how well you tolerate it.

• Take vericiguat 1 time each day with food.
• Swallow vericiguat tablets whole. If you are not able to swallow the tablet whole, you may crush the tablets and mix them with water right before taking your dose.

Vericiguat dosage

The recommended starting dose of vericiguat is 2.5 mg orally once daily with food.

• Your healthcare provider may double the dose of vericiguat approximately every 2 weeks to reach the target maintenance dose of 10 mg once daily if you tolerate it.

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember on the same day of the missed dose. Do not take 2 doses of vericiguat on the same day to make up for a missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

If you take too much vericiguat, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

What other drugs may affect vericiguat?

Other drugs may interact with vericiguat, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

• Other soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators, such as riociguat or Adempas. Do not take with vericiguat.
• PDE-5 Inhibitors, such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn), tadalafil (Cialis), and avanafil (Stendra). Concomitant use is not recommended.

This is not a full list of interactions. See the Verquvo prescribing information for a complete list.

Storage

Store vericiguat, tablets at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).

Keep out of the reach of children.

Verquvo ingredients

Active ingredient: vericiguat.

Inactive ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium lauryl sulfate.

Tablet film coating: hypromellose, talc, titanium dioxide. The film-coating for the 5 mg tablet also contains ferric oxide red. The film-coating for the 10 mg tablet also contains ferric oxide yellow.

Available as Verquvo 2.5 mg, Verquvo 5 mg, and Verquvo 10 mg tablets.

Who makes Verquvo?

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC makes Verquvo.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer