Properties

Safety Information

Description

Clevidipine is an ultra-short-acting vasodilator of the dihydropyridine (DHP) class of CCB. It is indicated as an intravenous treatment for the acute management of hypertension when oral therapy is not feasible or not desirable. Clevidipine is the second intravenous CCB to be marketed behind nicardipine for this indication. Both agents are primarily used for urgent treatment of hypertension in cardiac surgical setting, intensive care units, and emergency departments. Other intravenous agents currently on the market for this indication include sodium nitroprusside, nitroglycerin, fenoldopam, hydralazine, esmolol, and labetalol. Clevidipine is a potent, arterial-specific, vasodilator with very little or no effect on the myocardial contractility and venous capacitance. It has a rapid onset and offset of action and a very short plasma half-life, which allows for titration of the drug to achieve precise BP control.
clevidipine is exclusively metabolized in the blood and the tissues. It does not undergo any renal or hepatic metabolism and does not accumulate in the body. Clevidipine is a blocker of L-type calcium channels, which mediate the influx of calcium during depolarization in arterial smooth muscle.