New drug aims to unload the heart in lung hypertension

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult patients between 18-70 years of age 2. Able to provide signed informed consent 3. WHO FC II to IV 4. NTproBNP \> 300 ng/L 5. PAH etiology belonging to one of the following groups (Nice classification): * Idiopathic PAH * Heritable PAH 6. Hemodynamic diagnosis of PAH confirmed by RHC during screening showing: * mPAP \> 20 mmHg * Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) ≤ 15 mmHg * PVR ≥ 4WU (320 dyn.sec.cm-5) 7. For patients treated with oral diuretics, treatment dose must have been stable at least 1 month prior to RHC during the screening period 8. All patients are on stable background therapy at least 3 months prior to RHC during the screening period 9. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at screening and agree to use reliable methods of contraception 10. Males must agree to use a condom during sexual contact with a pregnant female or female of childbearing potential while participating in the study. Males should refrain from donating blood or sperm for the duration for the study and for 16 weeks after last dose of sotatercept Exclusion Criteria: 1. Any contraindication to treatment with sotatercept 2. Body weight \< 40 kg 3. Body mass index (BMI) \> 35kg/m2 4. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or intention to become pregnant during the study 5. Recently started (\< 8 weeks prior to informed consent signature) or planned cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation program 6. Known concomitant life-threatening disease with a life expectancy \< 12 months 7. Any condition likely to affect protocol or treatment compliance 8. Hospitalization for PAH within 3 months prior to informed consent signature 9. Left atrial volume per body surface area ≥ 43mL/m2 by echocardiography or CMR 10. Valvular disease grade 2 or higher 11. History of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis 12. Documented moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 13. Documented moderate to severe restrictive lung disease 14. Historical evidence of significant coronary artery disease 15. Diabetes mellitus 16. Active cancer 17. Systolic blood pressure \< 90 mmHg 18. Need for dialysis 19. Responders to acute vasoreactivity testing based on medical history 20. Treatment with another investigational drug (planned, or taken within the 3 months prior to study treatment initiation) 21. Claustrophobia 22. Permanent cardiac pacemaker, automatic internal cardioverter 23. Metallic implant (e.g. defibrillator, neurostimulator, hearing aid, infusion device) 24. Atrial fibrillation, multiple premature ventricular or atrial contractions , or any other condition that would interfere with proper cardiac gating during CMR. 25. History of major bleeding 26. Hemoglobin above ULN for age and gender