2007, Volume 14, Supplement 4: Direct renin inhibition with aliskiren – a new option in treating hypertension

The advent of a new drug is always grounds for congratulations, given the enormous odds against any one molecule. The advent of a new class is welcome in any disease, and especially welcome when there has been a 12-year gap since the last innovation – angiotensin receptor blockers in 1994. Do we need new drugs for hypertension? Resoundingly, yes! Although a combination of clear guidelines, targets and incentives has revolutionised the treatment of hypertension in primary care, the majority of patients still fail to achieve the international target for systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg in patients without diabetes, and still fewer achieve the target of 130 mmHg in patients with diabetes....