Trial seeks optimum hypertension mg’t

The growth in the medical understanding of heart disease that has been achieved with well-designed researches and clinical trials is one of the greatest achievements in medical history. Medical researchers all over the world have slowly but continuously provided the answers to many questions on heart-related diseases.

Though much is known about the risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease or CVD, the same cannot be said about its treatment. There are still treatment gaps which need to be filled in CVD management, such as the drug which will provide the optimum control for hypertension.

Hypertension is the most common and most prevalent risk factor for CVD which is affecting an estimated one billion people worldwide.

As a reflection of the growing commitment to the study of CVD, GlaxoSmithKline has partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim to support the Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) Trial Program.

ONTARGET is the world’s largest cardiovascular protection trial using angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) which will enroll over 29,000 patients. It will examine the preventive effects of telmisartan, either alone or in combination with the ACE inhibitor ramipril, on stroke, heart attack, cardiovascular death and hospitalization due to congestive heart failure.

Participants are to be recruited over two years from late 2001 with follow-up over an average period of four years, with results expected in 2008.

Participants are allocated to one of three different treatments: either a new blood pressure lowering drug called telmisartan, an established drug of the ACE inhibitor class, called ramipril, alone or in combination.

The ONTARGET Trial Program includes Telmisartan Randomized Assessment Study in ACE-I Intolerant Subjects with Cardiovascular Disease (TRANSCEND).

TRANSCEND is a smaller sub-study which aims to determine if telmisartan is effective in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease compared to placebo treatment. It will also establish whether cardiovascular outcomes can be improved in patients intolerant mostly of the side-effects of ACE inhibitor.

Results of the ONTARGET Trial Program are seen to improve the current treatment guidelines used to treat hypertension and will help physicians and patients achieve optimal hypertension management.

GSK is committed to improving the quality of human life by providing scientifically proven effective medicines.

GSK has a diverse portfolio of medicines targeted at reducing the multiple risk factors associated with CVD. This includes telmisartan, lacidipine, rosiglitazone and as a number of compounds in development.