FDA has announced the approval of Tekturna (aliskiren) tablets for hypertension, both as monotherapy or in combination with other high-BP medications.
The first drug on the market to inhibit renin, Tekturna acts at the beginning of the BP regulation process, whereas other available medications act at later stages. A once-daily oral therapy, Tekturna lowered BP across all demographic groups in six placebo-controlled eight-week clinical trials, which enrolled more than 2,000 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. When used in combination with hydrochlorothiazide, Tekturna achieved additional BP reductions.
Manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Tekturna will be available in pharmacies as 150-mg and 300-mg tablets. Hypertension is estimated to affect nearly one billion people worldwide and is uncontrolled in nearly 70% of patients.
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