On Apr. 7, 2020, Cumberland Pharma announced an initiative to increase availability of Vaprisol (conivaptan hydrochloride) injection for treating hyponatremia, associated with critical care patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaprisol is an U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for hyponatremia, a potentially life-threatening condition that can often afflict patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Hyponatremia frequently occurs when the concentration of sodium in a patient’s blood is abnormally low, which can lead to neurologic dysfunction, decreased mental function and cerebral edema, among other complications. The condition is particularly prevalent among ICU patients.

On average, over 30 percent of patients admitted to an ICU have hyponatremia and another 18 percent develop the condition during their ICU stay. Several studies have shown that patients with hyponatremia spend a longer time in the ICU, spend more time on mechanical ventilators and have increased mortality while in the ICU. Vaprisol can help address hyponatremia in the first 24 hours.

Vaprisol is an intravenous treatment for hyponatremia used in the critical care setting. Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which sodium ion concentration in blood plasma is lower than normal. This can be associated with a variety of critical care conditions including congestive heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure, and pneumonia. Vaprisol is a vasopressin receptor antagonist that raises serum sodium levels and promotes free water secretion. Vaprisol was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 for euvolemic hyponatremia and in 2007 for hypervolemic hyponatremia.