Azor(TM) Reduces Blood Pressure in Difficult to Treat Special P...( Blood pressure reductions demonstrate...),Health

Blood pressure reductions demonstrated in Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, People

with Diabetes and Obese Individuals

PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., announced today that data presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty- Third Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2008) in New Orleans demonstrated that the powerful combination drug AZOR(TM) (amlodipine and olmesartan medoxomil) safely and effectively helped patients across several major subpopulations lower their blood pressure (BP). An analysis of patient subgroups from the pivotal registrational trial demonstrated the efficacy of AZOR in several key difficult to treat patient groups including people of African and Hispanic/Latino decent, people with high body mass index (BMI) and those with diabetes.

The subgroup analyses were based on data from a pivotal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled factorial design study conducted in 1,940 pts with mild to severe hypertension (SeDBP)(*) 95-120 mm Hg) to determine if amlodipine (AML) 5-10mg/day plus olmesartan (OM) 10-40 mg/day for eight weeks is more efficacious in reducing BP versus monotherapy components. The groups were chosen because each population generally have either poor control rates (Blacks and Hispanic/Latinos),(1)(2) are difficult to control (people with high BMI)(3) or require lower blood pressure to achieve control (those with diabetes).(4)

"As we know, hypertension affects many people from all walks of life," said Suzanne Oparil, M.D., Director, Vascular Biology & Hypertension Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, an investigator in the study and President of ASH. "No two patients are alike, nor do any two people present in the exact same way. This study has demonstrated that AZOR is an important tool for physicians to consider when treating hypertensive patients of different ethnicities and health characteristics, as well as the more difficult to treat populat
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