Efficacy and tolerability of tasosartan, a novel angiotensin II receptor blocker: Results from a 10-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-titration study

Abstract Background Angiotensin II receptor antagonists are selective blockers of the renin-angiotensin system and represent an alternative to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the treatment of hypertension. Tasosartan is a newly developed nonpeptide AT 1 receptor blocker. Methods and Results In this double-blind, randomized, dose-titration, multicenter trial, tasosartan and placebo were compared in patients with stage I and stage II hypertension. A prequalification washout period (antihypertensive medications withdrawn) and a 2-week qualification period (patients received single-blind placebo) preceded a 10-week, double-blind treatment period. The patients received either 50 mg tasosartan ( n = 132) or placebo ( n = 130) once per day and were evaluated once per week. The dose of tasosartan was increased at 3-week intervals to 100 mg and then to 200 mg if the mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (SiDBP) exceeded 90 mm Hg. Compared with placebo, tasosartan produced significantly ( P P P Conclusions These results demonstrate that tasosartan at 50 to 200 mg given once a day over a titration period of 10 weeks was effective and safe in the treatment of essential hypertension. (Am Heart J 1999;137:118-25.)