Current and future therapy for hereditary angioedema.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by recurrent episodes of potentially life-threatening angioedema. Attacks of angioedema in HAE patients typically last 3 or more days, begin during childhood, and continue to occur throughout life. Tragically, patients with HAE continue to die as a direct consequence of the disease. Minimizing the morbidity and mortality associated with HAE requires both effective treatment of acute attacks as well as strategies to prevent HAE attacks. While there is currently no effective therapy available in the United States for the treatment of acute attacks of HAE, several molecules have demonstrated impressive efficacy in this setting, and it is likely that one or more of these new drugs will become available in the United States soon. This article will review both the current and the future therapeutic options for the treatment of HAE.