Aliskiren and the Calcium Channel Blocker Amlodipine Combination as an Initial Treatment Strategy for Hypertension

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: Hypertension

Interventions: Drug: Amlodipine
Drug: hydrochlorothiazide
Drug: Aliskiren

Registration Number: NCT00797862

Lead Sponsor: Novartis

Brief Summary: This study will compare the safety and efficacy of initial combination treatment with aliskiren + amlodipine to sequential add-on treatment strategies with aliskiren or amlodipine in patients with hypertension.

Detailed Description: This study was designed to evaluate if patients with hypertension treated early with a combination therapy would achieve better blood pressure (BP) control, than patients being treated with a classical sequential add-on therapy.

The study compared the effects of the two treatment strategies: Treatment initiation on a single compound, either with aliskiren or amlodipine, and then continuation with the combination of both versus treatment initiation with the combination of aliskiren/amlodipine and then continuation with the combination. The study also evaluated if the overall mean sitting systolic blood pressure (msSBP)-lowering effect during the study, as well as the change from baseline to study end in msSBP, are superior in the group having received combination therapy from the beginning.

The study further evaluated the BP-lowering efficacy and tolerability of both treatment strategies.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 1254

Inclusion Criteria

Male or female outpatients ≥ 18 years of age
Participants with essential hypertension:
- Naive participants must have a mean sitting Systolic Blood Pressure (msSBP) ≥ 150 mmHg and < 180 mmHg at Visit 1 and Visit 2. (Participants are considered 'naïve' if they have never been treated with any antihypertensive medication.)
- All participants must have a msSBP ≥ 150 mmHg and < 180 mmHg at Visit 2
Written informed consent to participate in this study prior to any study procedures

Exclusion Criteria

Severe hypertension
Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women
Pre-menopausal women not taking accepted form of birth control
Serum potassium ≥ 5.5 mEq/L (mmol/L) at Visit 1
History of cardiovascular conditions
Uncontrolled Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Hypersensitivity to renin inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or to drugs with similar chemical structures

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Amlodipine Start- Aliskiren Add-On	Aliskiren	Eligible participants received oral amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of amlodipine increased to 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, aliskiren 300 mg was added to the amlodipine 10 mg for 8 weeks (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren + Amlodipine	Amlodipine	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg + amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of the combination treatment increased to aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, participants in this group continued combination treatment (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for 8 weeks. At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren + Amlodipine	hydrochlorothiazide	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg + amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of the combination treatment increased to aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, participants in this group continued combination treatment (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for 8 weeks. At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren + Amlodipine	Aliskiren	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg + amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of the combination treatment increased to aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, participants in this group continued combination treatment (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for 8 weeks. At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren Start - Amlodipine Add-On	Amlodipine	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of aliskiren increased to 300 mg daily. From week 16-24, amlodipine 10 mg was added to the aliskiren 300 mg for 8 weeks (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren Start - Amlodipine Add-On	hydrochlorothiazide	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of aliskiren increased to 300 mg daily. From week 16-24, amlodipine 10 mg was added to the aliskiren 300 mg for 8 weeks (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Aliskiren Start - Amlodipine Add-On	Aliskiren	Eligible participants received oral aliskiren 150 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of aliskiren increased to 300 mg daily. From week 16-24, amlodipine 10 mg was added to the aliskiren 300 mg for 8 weeks (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (aliskiren 300 mg + amlodipine 10 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Amlodipine Start- Aliskiren Add-On	Amlodipine	Eligible participants received oral amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of amlodipine increased to 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, aliskiren 300 mg was added to the amlodipine 10 mg for 8 weeks (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.
Amlodipine Start- Aliskiren Add-On	hydrochlorothiazide	Eligible participants received oral amlodipine 5 mg daily from week 1-8. From week 8 - 16, the dose of amlodipine increased to 10 mg daily. From week 16-24, aliskiren 300 mg was added to the amlodipine 10 mg for 8 weeks (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg). At week 24, if blood pressure was not adequately controlled (systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>90 mmHg) hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg was added to the combination (amlodipine 10 mg + aliskiren 300 mg) for an additional 8 weeks. Total treatment period =32 weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Overall Mean Change From Baseline in Mean Sitting Systolic Blood Pressure (msSBP) Over 8, 16 and 24 Weeks	Baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks	Systolic Blood Pressure was measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and over 8, 16 and 24 weeks of study treatment. The overall mean change in msSBP from baseline was estimated over three time points: Week 8, Week 16, and Week 24. Analysis used a repeated measures Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) model with treatment, visit, and region as factors, treatment by visit interaction and baseline msSBP as a covariate.
Change From Baseline in Mean Sitting Systolic Blood Pressure (msSBP) at Week 24	Baseline to 24 weeks	Systolic Blood pressure was measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and 24 weeks of study treatment. Analysis used a repeated measures ANCOVA model with treatment, visit and region as factors, treatment by visit interaction and baseline msSBP as a covariate.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Overall Mean Change From Baseline in Mean Sitting Diastolic Blood Pressure (msDBP) Over 8, 16, and 24 Weeks	Baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 24 weeks	Diastolic Blood pressure was measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and over 8, 16 and 24 weeks of study treatment. The overall mean change in msDBP from baseline was estimated over three time points: Week 8, Week 16, and Week 24. Analysis used a repeated measures ANCOVA model with treatment, visit and regions as factors, treatment by visit interaction and baseline msDBP as a covariate.
Change From Baseline in Mean Sitting Diastolic Blood Pressure (msDBP) at Week 24	Baseline to 24 weeks	Diastolic Blood pressure was measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and 24 weeks of study treatment. Analysis used a repeated measures ANCOVA model with treatment, visit and region, as factors, treatment by visit interaction and baseline msDBP as a covariate.
Percentage of Participants Achieving Overall Blood Pressure Control at 8, 16, 24 and 32 Weeks Endpoints	Baseline to week 8, 16, 24 and 32 endpoints	Systolic \& Diastolic Blood Pressure were measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and after 8, 16 , 24 and 32 weeks. Outcome is reported as percentage of participants achieving overall blood pressure control (msSBP \<140 mmHg and msDBP \<90 mmHg) at weeks 8, 16, 24 \& 32 endpoints.
Change From Baseline in Mean Sitting Diastolic Blood Pressure (msDBP) at Week 32	Baseline to 32 weeks	Diastolic Blood Pressure was measured in a sitting position using a validated automated blood pressure monitor (the Omron device) according to Guidelines of the British Hypertension Society, at Baseline and 32 weeks of study treatment. Change at Week 32 used a separate repeated measures ANCOVA model containing Week 8, 16, 24 and 32 data. Treatment, visit and region were factors in the model, treatment by visit interaction and baseline msDBP a covariate.