Summary
Carvedilol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). ClinicalTrials.gov lists 7 registered trials linking Carvedilol to Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH): 3 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02507011). The largest enrolment is 30 participants (NCT01586156). Registration activity spans 2005 to 2016. The literature layer holds 1 publication for this pair: 1 clinical trial publication. The dated items are from 2014. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ranks 50 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Without treatment, median survival from diagnosis 2.8 years (pre-modern-therapy era); with current therapy 5-year survival ~50-60%; spontaneous remission essentially unknown.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 34.0 (trials 12.0, literature 2.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 7 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 4 other |
| Linked publications | 1 (1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor; inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRB3 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02507011 | Beta-blockers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension 2016 | terminated | Phase 2 | 2 |
| NCT00240656 | Spironolactone Combined With Captopril and Carvedilol for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension 2005 | completed | Phase 1 | — |
| NCT02120339 | Carvedilol PAH A Pilot Study of Efficacy and Safety 2014 | terminated | Phase 1 | 5 |
| NCT01568645 | Imatinib and Carvedilol for High Blood Pressure in the Lungs in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease 2012 | withdrawn | Phase 1 | — |
| NCT01586156 | PAHTCH Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment With Carvedilol for Heart Failure (Carvedilol) 2012 | completed | Not applicable | 30 |
| NCT00964678 | Pilot Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Carvedilol in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension 2010 | completed | PHASE1, PHASE2 | 10 |
| NCT01723371 | Beta Blockers for Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Children 2012 | withdrawn | PHASE1, PHASE2 | — |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Treatment of group I pulmonary arterial hypertension with carvedilol is safeGrinnan D, Bogaard HJ, Grizzard J et al. · American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2014 · PMID 24930531
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor; inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRB3. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carvedilol approved for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)?
Carvedilol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Carvedilol in clinical trials for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 7 registered trials linking Carvedilol to Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH): 3 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02507011). The largest enrolment is 30 participants (NCT01586156). Registration activity spans 2005 to 2016.
What does the evidence show for Carvedilol in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)?
Carvedilol has 3 completed trials and 1 linked publication for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRB3. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-06. Page built 2026-10-07.