Natrecor relaxes and dilates blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.

Natrecor is used to improve breathing in people with sudden severe heart failure.

Natrecor is given by intravenous (IV) injection and infusion.

You should not use Natrecor if you have very low blood pressure, or if your heart cannot pump blood properly.

Before you receive Natrecor, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease.

Tell your doctor about any heart problems you currently have or have had in the past. There are certain heart conditions that could make it dangerous for you to receive Natrecor.

Before taking this medicine

You should not be treated with Natrecor if you are allergic to nesiritide, or if:

• your heart cannot pump blood properly; or

• you have very low blood pressure.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had kidney disease.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. It is not known whether nesiritide will harm an unborn baby. However, heart failure can get worse during pregnancy and may cause complications such as premature birth, stillbirth, or death of the mother. The benefit of treating heart failure may outweigh any risks to the baby.

It is not known whether nesiritide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Natrecor is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

This medicine must be given slowly, and the infusion may be given continuously for up to 96 hours.

Your blood pressure and other vital signs will be watched closely.

Usual Adult Dose for Congestive Heart Failure:

Initial dose: 2 mcg/kg IV bolus, followed by 0.01 mcg/kg/min via continuous IV infusion; not to be titrated more frequently than every 3 hours to a maximum of 0.03 mcg/kg/min

Comments:
-This drug should not be initiated at a dose higher than the initial recommended dose.
-The loading dose may not be appropriate for those with systolic blood pressure less than 110 mmHg or for patients recently treated with afterload reducers.
-There is limited experience with administering this drug for longer than 96 hours; monitor blood pressure closely during administration.

Use: For the treatment of acutely decompensated heart failure in patients who have dyspnea at rest or with minimal activity

You should not be treated with Natrecor if you are allergic to nesiritide, or if:

• your heart cannot pump blood properly; or

• you have very low blood pressure.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had kidney disease.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. It is not known whether nesiritide will harm an unborn baby. However, heart failure can get worse during pregnancy and may cause complications such as premature birth, stillbirth, or death of the mother. The benefit of treating heart failure may outweigh any risks to the baby.

It is not known whether nesiritide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Because you will receive Natrecor in a clinical setting, you are not likely to miss a dose.

Since this medicine is given by a healthcare professional in a medical setting, an overdose is unlikely to occur. However, if too much medicine is given, you may feel faint.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Natrecor: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregivers at once if you have:

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; or

• little or no urination.

Common Natrecor side effects may include:

• dizziness;

• nausea;

• headache; or

• back pain.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Other drugs may interact with nesiritide, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.