Tekturna HCT has been approved as a single-tablet combination of two medicines for high BP: tekturna (aliskiren), the first new type of antihypertensive drug in more than a decade, and the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide.
Most hypertensive patients require two or more medicines to reach their target BP. Clinical trials involving more than 2,700 patients showed that the combination of Tekturna and HCT offers greater BP reductions than either component alone.
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Approved in more than 40 countries, aliskiren (known as Rasilez outside the United States) used alone lowers BP for 24 hours and beyond, sometimes for up to four days after the last dose. It works by decreasing the activity of the renin system, dilating blood vessels so BP is lowered.
“Tekturna HCT offers patients an effective new treatment option with significant blood pressure reductions and improved convenience, by combining the complementary mechanisms of action of the first direct renin inhibitor and a diuretic in one tablet,” said Alan Gradman, MD, of the division of cardiovascular diseases at Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Tekturna was discovered by Novartis and developed in collaboration with Speedel Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
