AOP Health Taps Supply Chain Giants for Critical Heart Drug Rollout

WILMINGTON, Del. – January 12, 2026 – In a strategic move poised to enhance critical cardiac care across the United States, AOP Health US, LLC announced today that its recently approved medication, Rapiblyk™ (landiolol), is now accessible through the nation's leading pharmaceutical distribution networks. Hospitals and health systems can now procure the drug via Cardinal, Cencora Specialty Distribution, McKesson Corporation, and M&D Specialty Distribution, ensuring broad availability for a therapy designed for high-stakes medical environments.

Rapiblyk™, an ultra-short-acting beta-blocker, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024 for the short-term reduction of ventricular rate in adults with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. These conditions involve dangerously rapid and irregular heart rates and frequently occur in perioperative, postoperative, or other critical-care settings.

“This represents an important milestone in ensuring that Rapiblyk™ availability is secured nationwide, supporting clinicians and healthcare providers in critical care environments,” said John Kimmet, General Manager of AOP Health US, in a statement. “We’re reinforcing our commitment to making Rapiblyk™ accessible where it’s needed most.”

A Strategic Alliance for Nationwide Reach

The partnership with these four distributors is a pivotal step in AOP Health's U.S. market strategy. McKesson, Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), and Cardinal Health are collectively known as the “Big Three” of pharmaceutical distribution, controlling over 90% of the U.S. market by revenue. Their immense logistical power means that Rapiblyk™ is now effectively on the order lists for nearly every hospital in the country.

McKesson alone supplies about a third of all pharmaceuticals in North America, serving thousands of hospitals. Cardinal Health reaches nearly 90% of U.S. hospitals, while Cencora also holds a commanding market share. The inclusion of M&D Specialty Distribution, the largest independent full-line distributor, further blankets the market, particularly reaching independent health systems and facilities across 19 states with next-day service.

This distribution superhighway is fundamental for AOP Health, a global enterprise with Austrian roots that established its U.S. subsidiary, AOP Health US, in 2025. By leveraging these established, high-efficiency supply chains, the company bypasses the monumental challenge of building its own distribution network from the ground up. This allows the firm to focus its resources on clinical education and support as it introduces a new therapeutic option to American physicians.

A New Tool in the Fight Against Acute Arrhythmias

For clinicians on the front lines of critical care, the wider availability of Rapiblyk™ introduces a highly specialized tool for managing tachyarrhythmias. The drug’s key differentiator lies in its pharmacologic profile. As an ultra-short-acting, highly selective beta-1 adrenergic receptor blocker, it offers a unique combination of speed and precision.

Its primary competitor, esmolol, is also an ultra-short-acting beta-blocker, but clinical data highlights key differences. Landiolol has a significantly shorter elimination half-life of approximately four minutes, compared to esmolol's nine minutes. This allows for extremely rapid titration, meaning clinicians can quickly adjust the dose to achieve the desired heart rate and, if necessary, the drug's effects will dissipate swiftly upon stopping the infusion. This is a critical safety feature in hemodynamically unstable patients, where blood pressure can fluctuate unpredictably.

Furthermore, landiolol exhibits much higher cardioselectivity, targeting beta-1 receptors in the heart far more specifically than beta-2 receptors in the lungs. This profile suggests a lower risk of bronchospasm, making it a potentially safer option for patients with underlying respiratory conditions. Independent clinical studies and reviews have noted that landiolol can effectively reduce heart rate with a lower incidence of hypotension compared to esmolol and other agents like diltiazem, a crucial advantage in the ICU. Its utility has been particularly noted in managing postoperative arrhythmias following cardiac surgery and in controlling heart rate in septic patients without destabilizing their blood pressure.

Navigating the Complexities of Hospital Adoption

While securing a place in the catalogs of major distributors is a victory for logistical access, it is the first of many steps toward widespread clinical adoption. The next hurdle for AOP Health is gaining acceptance from individual hospital Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) committees. These committees act as gatekeepers, deciding which medications are added to a hospital's official formulary, the approved list of drugs that can be prescribed and stocked.

Decisions are based on a rigorous evaluation of a drug's clinical efficacy, safety, and, crucially, its cost-effectiveness. In an era of intense financial pressure, hospitals are wary of adding new, often more expensive, drugs if existing therapies are deemed adequate. Most inpatient medications are paid for under a bundled Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) payment, meaning the hospital absorbs the drug's cost. Therefore, a new drug must demonstrate clear value beyond its clinical benefits, such as reducing the length of an ICU stay or preventing costly complications.

“Just because a drug is on the wholesaler’s list doesn’t mean it’s immediately on our formulary,” noted one anonymous clinical pharmacist at a major academic medical center. “We need to see compelling, real-world data on both patient outcomes and its overall economic impact on the episode of care. The bar is high for any new agent entering a space with established, lower-cost alternatives.”

A Cornerstone of AOP Health's US Ambitions

The launch and expanded distribution of Rapiblyk™ represent the foundational move in AOP Health’s broader U.S. strategy. The company’s mission is to address unmet needs in rare diseases and critical care, and establishing a strong foothold with a differentiated cardiovascular drug is a logical first step. The company has been building its U.S. field organization, hiring medical science liaisons and account managers to engage with healthcare providers and support the drug's rollout.

This effort is not a standalone venture. AOP Health maintains a global pipeline of therapies in various stages of development, with interests spanning hemato-oncology, neurology, and pulmonology. The successful market penetration of Rapiblyk™ will not only provide a new option for critically ill patients but will also build the commercial and medical infrastructure necessary for AOP Health to introduce future innovations from its pipeline into the world's largest pharmaceutical market. The company’s ability to prove its value proposition—Needs, Science, Trust—to American clinicians and hospital administrators will determine its long-term success on this side of the Atlantic.