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| |  Atacand Available In U.S. For Hypertension WAYNE, PA -- Oct. 20, 1998 -- Astra Pharmaceuticals, L.P.’s Atacand(R) (candesartan cilexetil), a powerful new angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) for the once-daily treatment of hypertension, is now available in the United States. Angiotensin receptor blockers represent the first new class of antihypertensive agents in the U.S. in more than a decade. In clinical trials involving more than 7,000 hypertensive patients, Atacand has been shown to reduce blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner over a 24-hour period. In clinical trials, treatment with Atacand has been well tolerated. Atacand has demonstrated its blood pressure-lowering effect in a series of clinical trials that included the calcium channel blocker, amlodipine, the ACE inhibitor, enalapril and the ARB, losartan. These medications are the most widely prescribed in their class. Angiotensin receptor blockers work by inhibiting the effects of angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels and leads to hypertension. According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is responsible for more than 960,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Improperly controlled hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure or heart failure. Hypertension can be controlled with lifestyle modifications and, if necessary, medications. Most hypertensive patients have no symptoms and many do not take their medications due to unwanted side effects of some older therapies. "One of the advantages of a medication like Atacand is that the overall incidence of side effects is similar to placebo,” said Alan Gradman, M.D., chief, division of cardiovascular diseases at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “A drug like Atacand may be an improvement for patients concerned about taking high blood pressure medications because of adverse effects," The usual starting dose for Atacand is 16 mg once daily as monotherapy in patients who are not volume depleted, with daily doses ranging from 8 mg to 32 mg. Atacand may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents and has been proven effective in reducing blood pressure regardless of age, race or gender. While overall incidence of adverse events was similar to placebo in controlled clinical trials, some adverse events that occurred in at least one percent of patients treated with Atacand were higher than placebo, including back pain (three percent versus two percent), dizziness (four percent versus three percent), upper respiratory tract infection (six percent versus four percent), pharyngitis (two percent versus one percent) and rhinitis (two percent versus one percent). As with other drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system, Atacand should not be used by pregnant women and should be discontinued if pregnancy is detected. In addition to its use in hypertension, Atacand is also being studied to explore its use in heart failure. Astra will soon begin the most comprehensive heart failure program of any angiotensin receptor blocker with Atacand, involving more than 6,000 patients world-wide.
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