Hyperkalemia drug Veltassa now available for prescription

Veltassa (patiromer) for oral suspension is now available for prescription to patients with hyperkalemia in the United States, Relypsa Inc. announced. Veltassa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Oct.21, 2015. It is the first new medicine for the treatment of hyperkalemia, or elevated blood potassium levels, in more than 50 years.

"We are very pleased to announce that Veltassa is now available for the millions of Americans who have hyperkalemia," said John A. Orwin, president and chief executive officer of Relypsa. "We are committed to ensuring people living with the burden of hyperkalemia have access to this important new medicine and the team at our patient support center, Veltassa Konnect, is ready to support patients who have been prescribed Veltassa."

Relypsa has created Veltassa Konnect, a centralized patient support center that provides a variety of services, including helping patients understand their insurance coverage and start taking Veltassa quickly, and providing assistance to eligible patients who need help with their co-pay or who are uninsured and may qualify for free drugs. More information is available at https://www.veltassa.com. -by Rebecca Zumoff

Dr. Lance Berman explains the historical need for a chronic hyperkalemia treatment, and the details of how Veltassa works