'Heroes of Chemistry' for saving teeth, clean water, new high blood pre...(pressure. Members of the team include Ni...),Health

Tekturna treats high blood pressure in a way fundamentally different from the dozens of medications for that condition. It works by interfering with the action of an enzyme called renin, which is produced in the kidneys. Renin triggers a process that can contribute to high blood pressure. As scientific understanding of renin grew in the early 1980s, pharmaceutical companies around the world began searching for renin inhibitors. The Novartis team developed the first such drug approved for use in the United States, and so far the only direct renin inhibitor available to patients.

"The Novartis team made remarkable progress in developing this new drug," said Scott A. Biller, Ph.D., vice president and head of global discovery chemistry. "It provides powerful blood pressure lowering efficacy that lasts for 24 hours and beyond with excellent tolerability, which is comparable to placebo. Tekturna and Rasilez, has demonstrated organ protection potential beyond current treatments, by reducing key markers of kidney disease and heart failure."

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