Vericiguat (VERQUVO™; Merck & Co, Bayer AG) is a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) 
stimulator being developed for the treatment of chronic heart failure. 
Vericiguat stimulates sGC and cGMP production independent of nitric oxide (NO) 
and enhances the effects of NO by stabilizing the NO-sGC binding. Based on the 
results of the phase III VICTORIA trial vericiguat was recently approved in the 
USA for risk reduction in patients with heart failure and ejection fraction 
< 45%. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of vericiguat 
leading to this first approval.