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| |  ACC: Teveten (Eprosartan) May Have Unique Effect on Sympathetic Blood Pressure ANAHEIM, CA -- March 13, 2000 -- Data presented today during a satellite symposium at the 49th annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology suggests that the antihypertensive, Teveten (R)(eprosartan mesylate) Tablets, might have added benefits because of its dual mechanism of action, which inhibits sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity as well as blocking angiotensin II. It is believed that the SNS may play a major role in controlling systolic blood pressure-a better predictor of cardiovascular events. "These could be interesting findings in treating hypertension because Teveten might have some inhibitory effect on sympathetic activities which could contribute to its efficacy in controlling systolic blood pressure," said Dr. Michael A. Weber, Chairman, Department of Medicine, The Brookdale University Hospital, and symposium moderator. The medical roundtable, Inhibiting Both RAS and SNS for High Blood Pressure Control: Myths and Facts, explored how elevated systolic blood pressure is being recognized and discussed by cardiology experts as a key target in hypertension treatment. According to roundtable participants, current high blood pressure control practices have mostly centered on controlling the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS). A new and more aggressive approach would focus on inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow in addition to the RAAS system. "All ARBs can control high blood pressure by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, but in preliminary animal studies, eprosartan was shown to block the sympathetic outflow in addition to inhibiting RAAS. This dual mechanism of action could be an interesting development in the treatment of hypertension if the animal experimental findings are confirmed in humans," says Dr. Domenic Sica, Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, and symposia presenter. The data showed that Teveten inhibited the pressor response to spinal cord stimulation in animal studies, whereas another ARB, losartan, at equal dosages, was ineffective in inhibiting pressor responses induced by spinal cord stimulation suggesting that Teveten might be a more effective antagonist of the prejunctional angiotensin II receptor. Similarly, another study evaluated the effects of Teveten, losartan, valsartan and irbesartan on the pressor response and concluded that Teveten significantly inhibited sympathetic activity in a manner similar to that of the peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist (Sar1-Ile8). However, losartan, valsartan and irbesartan at the same milligram dosage did not produce any significant inhibition of the pressor response or sympathetic outflow. However, at a higher dosage, ibersartan did inhibit pressor response. This differential finding was attributed to the uniqueness in the structure and the dual mechanism of action of Teveten. The symposium reported that Teveten is chemically distinct and, unlike losartan, valsartan and irbesartan, it does not contain a biphenyl, tetrazole moiety. Teveten is a competitive angiotensin II antagonist. In contrast, valsartan, irbesartan, and the active metabolite of losartan, produce insurmountable, non-competitive forms of receptor antagonism. The roundtable, "Inhibiting Both RAS and SNS for High Blood Pressure Control: Myths and Facts," was moderated by Michael Weber, M.D., President of the American Society for Hypertension and Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York. Participants included Thomas Giles, M.D., Director of Cardiovascular Research at LSU School of Medicine; Domenic Sica, M.D., Chairman of the Clinical Pharmacology and Hypertension Department at the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University; and Kenneth Jamerson, M.D., of the University of Michigan Medical School's Department of Hypertension. Teveten is currently indicated for the treatment of hypertension and was approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States in December 1998. Teveten is also available in Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Portugal. Teveten, like other drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system, can cause injury and even death to the developing fetus when it is used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. When pregnancy is detected, Teveten should be discontinued as soon as possible. The roundtable panel discussion was sponsored by an unrestricted educational grant from Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., focuses on drugs in the therapeutic areas of hypertension, endocrinology, urology, HIV and other infectious diseases. Unimed currently markets Marinol (dronabinol) as an appetite stimulant for people living with HIV disease and as an antiemetic for people with cancer, Anadrol(R)-50 (oxymetholone) for the treatment of various anemias, and Maxaquin(R) (lomefloxacin HC1), a broad-spectrum quinolone antibiotic, for both complicated and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. In addition, Unimed recently received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to market AndroGel(TM) (testosterone gel) (C-III) for replacement therapy in men for conditions associated with low testosterone. Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Marietta, GA, is a research-based pharmaceutical company active in the therapeutic areas of cardiology, gastroenterology, mental health and women's health. It is a member of the worldwide Solvay Group of chemical and pharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Related Links: Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, In.
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