Clevidipine: a state-of-the-art antihypertensive drug under the scope

INTRODUCTION: Clevidipine butyrate is the first intravenous antihypertensive drug to be approved by the FDA over the last decade. This medication is approved for use in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, but is still pending for approval in Europe. It is a new agent that might change the current management for severe acute hypertension in the critical care, emergency and perioperative areas. AREAS COVERED: This systematic review summarizes the pharmacological and clinical characteristics of this third-generation dihydropyridine intravenous calcium channel blocker, and was done using the literature available from the first publication in 1999 up until now, including the pivotal trials that led to its approval. EXPERT OPINION: This agent is arterially selective, has an ultrashort half-life, with no CYP-mediated interactions with other medications and is easily titratable. These characteristics place it in a unique category compared with other commonly used antihypertensives. Clevidipine butyrate reaches target systolic blood pressure in more than 90% of patients, within 30 min. It has a low incidence of adverse reactions and is generally well tolerated. The main goal of this review is to provide healthcare providers with a comprehensive appraisal of this promising medication.