Bystolic(TM), a Novel Beta Blocker, is Now Approved by the FDA for the Treatment of Hy...( NEW YORK Dec. 18 /- Forest Labora...)

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) and Mylan Inc. (NYSE: MYL) announced today that the novel beta blocker Bystolic(TM) (nebivolol) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hypertension. Bystolic is a once daily medication that can be used alone or in combination with other hypertension treatments. Hypertension affects approximately 72 million adults in the U.S. and 65 percent of patients diagnosed with hypertension have not reduced their blood pressure to an acceptable range (blood pressure <140/90 mmHg), underscoring the need for additional therapeutic options.

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Beta blockers are one of the most widely used classes of drugs in the United States. In an extensive clinical trial program involving more than 2,000 patients, Bystolic demonstrated significant reductions in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure in a general hypertensive population, which included 26 percent Black, 54 percent male, 19 percent elderly and 8 percent diabetic patients. The studies also found that Bystolic was well tolerated, with a low incidence of traditional beta blocker side effects. Like other beta blockers, Bystolic decreases heart rate and myocardial contractility, and suppresses renin activity. Bystolic is a selective beta 1 blocker at doses less than or equal to 10 mg per day and has the
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