Efficacy and safety of oral tolvaptan therapy in patients with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion

Abstract

Objective

Tolvaptan, an oral antagonist of the vasopressin V₂ receptor, has been found to improve hyponatremia in patients with mixed etiologies. This study analyzed a subgroup of patients with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tolvaptan in this group.

Design and patients

Hyponatremic patients in the SALT-1 and SALT-2 studies with a diagnosis of SIADH were identified based on clinical diagnosis by individual study investigators. Subjects were randomized to receive oral placebo (n=52) or tolvaptan 15 mg daily, with further titration to 30 and 60 mg daily, if necessary, based on the response of serum [Na⁺] (n=58).

Results

In patients with SIADH, improvement in serum [Na⁺] was significantly greater (P<0.0001) with tolvaptan than placebo over the first 4 days of therapy as well as the entire 30-day study, with minimal side effects of increased thirst, dry mouth, and urination. Only 5.9% of tolvaptan-treated patients had overly rapid correction of hyponatremia as defined by current guidelines. After discontinuation of tolvaptan, serum [Na⁺] declined to values similar to placebo. A significant positive treatment effect favoring tolvaptan on the physical component, and a near-significant trend on the mental component, was found using the SF-12 Health Survey. Tolvaptan was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of fluid restriction.

Conclusions

Results for the SIADH subgroup were analogous to those of the combined SALT population regarding efficacy and safety but demonstrated a greater improvement in the physical component of the SF-12 Health Survey than in the full mixed etiology SALT patient group.