Oral renin Inhibitor provides 24-hour blood pressure control

Aliskiren, the first in a new class of orally active renin inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension, provided effective 24-hour blood pressure control, both alone and in combination with a diuretic, in two separate studies presented at the 21st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, according to a press release from the society. Aliskiren targets the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

In a double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study, 672 people with mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to either one of three different doses of aliskiren (150 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg, once daily) or placebo. Dr. Jerry Mitchell, the lead investigator (Texas Center for Drug Development) reported that aliskiren was associated with consistent and significant reductions in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in effective and smooth 24-hour blood pressure control. Mitchell stated that, “By helping control blood pressure around the clock and preventing blood pressure surges, aliskiren may lower the risks of heart attacks and strokes.”

“Renin inhibition has long been considered a desirable treatment approach and these recent study results provide evidence that aliskiren provides well-tolerated, 24-hour blood pressure control,” said Dr. Mitchell. “Further studies will evaluate whether aliskiren has the potential to provide end-organ protection.”

A Phase II single-blind study evaluating the safety and efficacy of aliskiren, alone and in combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), showed significant blood pressure reductions in the 2,776 patients with hypertension. Dr. Alberto Villamil, lead investigator (Fundapres, Buenos Aires, Argentina) said, “Aliskiren works well when given as monotherapy,” “but we have found that it also provides significant additional blood pressure reductions when combined with HCTZ treatment.”