The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Valturna (aliskiren and valsartan) tablets, the first and only medicine to target two key points within the renin system, also known as the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), an important regulator of blood pressure. This is the first approval for Valturna, which is indicated for the treatment of high blood pressure in patients not adequately controlled on aliskiren or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) monotherapy and as initial therapy in patients likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals.

"This unique combination brings together the powerful blood pressure lowering effects of valsartan and aliskiren," said Joe Jimenez, CEO of the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Division. "It offers an important additional treatment option for physicians and hypertension patients, many of whom are not at their blood pressure goal. Valturna builds upon our strong cardiovascular franchise and is consistent with our long-term commitment to developing effective and innovative therapies. It further strengthens our growing portfolio of single-pill combinations to treat high blood pressure."

Valturna combines in a single pill valsartan, the active ingredient in Diovan, the number one selling blood pressure medication worldwide, and aliskiren, the active ingredient in Tekturna, the only approved direct renin inhibitor (DRI). Valturna offers significantly greater blood pressure reduction than either valsartan or aliskiren alone.

"When it comes to diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, there is a real need for innovative therapies that help patients get to a healthier blood pressure range," said John Flack, Valturna investigator, and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit. "Now for the first time, we have a treatment option in one pill that targets two key points of the RAAS, which may be overactive in many hypertensive patients."

This approval was primarily based on a pivotal eight-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in approximately 1,800 patients, which studied aliskiren 150 mg and 300 mg and valsartan 160 mg and 320 mg alone and in combination.

The single-pill combination Valturna targets the RAAS in two ways. Valsartan blocks, at the receptor level, the action of angiotensin II, a component of the RAAS that causes blood vessels to tighten and narrow. Aliskiren directly inhibits renin, an enzyme produced by the kidneys that starts a process that leads to formation of angiotensin II. An overactive RAAS may contribute to high blood pressure. By targeting two key points within the RAAS, Valturna helps blood vessels relax and widen so blood pressure is lowered.

Research suggests that up to 85 per cent of patients with high blood pressure may need multiple medications to help control their blood pressure underscoring the need for effective combination treatments.

High blood pressure affects over one billion individuals globally and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the number one leading cause of death worldwide. If left untreated, patients with high blood pressure are at risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack and heart failure, and of organ damage including kidney failure and vision problems. Up to 65 per cent of patients with high blood pressure do not have the condition under control.

The number one selling blood pressure medication worldwide and one of the fastest-growing high blood pressure drugs on the market today, Diovan is available as a powerful first-line treatment for high blood pressure in more than 90 countries and in more than 65 countries for the treatment of heart failure in patients who also take usual therapy including diuretics, digitalis and either beta blockers or ACE inhibitors, but not both.

Tekturna, a direct renin-inhibitor, is the only drug that works by directly targeting renin to decrease the activity of the RAAS.