Aliskiren: a Review of Its Use in the Management of Hypertension

Aliskiren (Tekturna) is an orally active, nonpeptidic inhibitor of renin, the enzyme involved in the initial and rate-limiting step of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In the US, aliskiren is approved for the treatment of hypertension and may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. Monotherapy with aliskiren 150-300mg once daily was effective in lowering blood pressure (BP) and providing 24-hour BP control; it was generally well tolerated when administered for up to 1 year to patients with mild to moderate hypertension. In the short term (1-3 months), the BP-lowering effect of aliskiren 150-300mg once daily was significantly greater than that of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5-25mg once daily and noninferior to, or significantly greater than, that of ramipril 5-10mg once daily. It was similar to that of valsartan 160-320mg once daily and losartan 100mg once daily, and similar to, or significantly greater than, that of irbesartan 150mg once daily. Aliskiren provided significant additional BP-lowering effects when combined with HCTZ 12.5-25 mg/day, ramipril 5-10 mg/day, amlodipine 5mg once daily or valsartan 160-320 mg/day; combination therapy was well tolerated. Long-term administration of aliskiren-based therapy was superior to HCTZ- and ramipril-based therapies in lowering BP after 6 months, and was similarly well tolerated. The ultimate role of aliskiren will be determined by the results of target organ protection studies, which are ongoing, and a cardiovascular outcome trial, which is planned. Nonetheless, by offering a new approach to the blockade of the RAS, aliskiren provides a useful addition to the therapeutic options available to treat patients with mild to moderate hypertension.