Existing Treatments For Hypertension Are Considered Safe And Effective, But A Significant Portion Of Patients Still Have Difficulty Controlling Their Blood Pressure.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c39249) has announced the addition of "Renin Inhibitors: A Novel Approach to Hypertension" to their offering.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a significant health concern worldwide. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and poorly controlled hypertension can damage target organs, eventually resulting in heart failure, end-stage kidney disease, retinopathy, stroke, and vascular dementia.

The hypertension therapy market is also one of the largest markets in the world for prescription drugs. In this report, we examine a new class of antihypertensive drug, renin inhibitors. The first of these agents, aliskiren (Novartis/Speedel's Rasilez), is preregistered in the United States. If approved, it will be the first of a new class of antihypertensive drug to enter the market in more than a decade.

The hypertension market is large and mature; it comprises several drug classes, most of which are available in generic form, that compete for market share.

Renin inhibitors, which block the initial, rate-limiting step of the rennin angiotensinaldosterone system (RAAS), are a novel approach to hypertension treatment. The first agent in this class, aliskiren (Speedel/Novartis's Rasilez), is in preregistration. If approved, renin inhibitors will be the first novel drug class for hypertension treatment in more than a decade. Clinical trials have shown that aliskiren's efficacy in lowering BP is equal to that of many existing treatments. Aliskiren may also have potential as a combination therapy, enabling greater blockage of the RAAS and improved efficacy.

In addition, trials have shown that aliskiren does not elevate plasma renin activity, a benefit that suggests the drug may be less likely than existing treatments to cause end-organ damage. We anticipate that physicians will initially prescribe renin inhibitors as an alternative treatment as they attempt to find a drug or drug combination that will be well tolerated and enable patients to reach goal BPs.

Adoption will likely increase as more data emerge about renin inhibitors' side-effect profile and effect on end-organ damage. Because most rennin inhibitors, other than aliskiren, are still in early-stage development, aliskiren will enjoy a significant competitive advantage for several years as the only agent available.

Key Topics Covered Include:

- Introduction

- Overview of Hypertension

- Definition of Hypertension

- The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 

- Prevalence

- Current Treatment for Hypertension

- Current Therapies

- Unmet Needs in the Treatment of Hypertension

- Renin Inhibitors

- The Development of Renin Inhibitors

- Speedel/Novartis's Aliskiren

Companies Mentioned Include:

- Merck

- AstraZeneca

- Novartis

- Wyeth

- Bristol-Myers Squibb

- King Pharmaceuticals

- Sanofi-Aventis

- Novartis

- Biovail

- Watson Pharmaceuticals

- Forest

- Pfizer

- Abbott

- Speedel

- Actelion

- Vitae Pharmaceuticals

- GlaxoSmithKline

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c39249