Forest Laboratories, Inc presented data from a phase IV study evaluating the effects of Bystolic (nebivolol) tablets in Hispanic patients with hypertension at the 2010 annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH). Results showed Bystolic significantly reduced sitting systolic (p=0.001) and diastolic (p<0.0001) blood pressure (BP) when used as monotherapy and was well tolerated. Bystolic is a beta blocker approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension and can be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive treatments.

Hispanics currently comprise 14 per cent of the total US population and are the fastest growing minority group in the US. By 2050, this number is expected to increase by 25 per cent. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics found over 20 per cent of adult Hispanics have hypertension, which can eventually lead to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. Hispanics also have higher rates of diabetes and obesity, compared with Caucasians, additional risk factors for developing hypertension. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show Mexican Americans, who comprise the majority of Hispanics in the US, tend to have lower awareness of their hypertension, are less likely to be treated with medication for the condition, and have lower blood pressure control, compared with African Americans and Caucasians.

"Bystolic is one of the only antihypertensives to have been prospectively evaluated for efficacy and safety in Hispanic patients, which is important given the lack of awareness, poor control, and risk factors in this growing population," explains Henry Punzi, Clinical assistant professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, and study investigator. "These positive results show Bystolic is an effective treatment option with good tolerability for Hispanic patients with hypertension and add to the growing body of evidence in support of the clinical profile of the drug."

Bystolic (nebivolol) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for the treatment of hypertension (chronic high blood pressure).

Forest Laboratories is a US-based pharmaceutical company with a long track record of building partnerships and developing and marketing products that make a positive difference in people's lives.