Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s new combination drug Amosartan (losartan/amlodipine) to treat hypertension was effective in controlling central blood pressure, compared to a combo of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), the company said. The American Journal of Hypertension published the study results recently.

The study was part of “The K-Central Study,” led by Kyung Hee University Medical Center’s Cardiology Department Professor Kim Jong-jin and the Korean Society of Hypertension.

The researchers compared non-inferiority of office mean systolic blood pressure reduction efficacy and superiority of 24 hours ambulatory central BP reduction efficacy between the two combo treatments.

The researchers conducted a randomized trial in 231 hypertensive patients who initially received losartan 50mg for four weeks (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg). Then, the patients additionally received amlodipine 5mg or hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg for 20 weeks after randomization.

The results showed that Amosartan was non-inferior to the losartan/HCTZ combo in office mean systolic blood pressure reduction after four weeks treatment and 20 weeks’ treatment.

“This study is not just to prove Amosartan’s blood pressure lowering effect but to serve as an intermediate step to demonstrate its superiority of clinical outcome improvement. By approaching it with analysis on various hemodynamics indicators, this study suggested new evidence-based directions for treatment of hypertensive patients,” Kim said.

The K-Central Study published in the American Journal of Hypertension is the 10th study of Amosartan-related drugs.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical published the first Amosartan study in June 2009 and has steadily released a related study a year on average since. The drugmaker is also actively publishing reviews in major academic meetings at home and abroad.

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