Kinzalmono (previously Telmisartan Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma KG)

Kinzalmono is a medicine that contains the active substance telmisartan. It is available as tablets (20, 40 and 80 mg).

Kinzalmono is used in adults who have essential hypertension (high blood pressure). ‘Essential’ means that the hypertension has no obvious cause.

The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

For the treatment of essential hypertension, the usual recommended dose of Kinzalmono is 40 mg once a day, but some patients may benefit from using 20 mg once a day. If the target blood pressure is not reached, the dose can be increased to 80 mg, or another medicine for hypertension can be added, such as hydrochlorothiazide.

For the prevention of cardiovascular problems, the recommended dose is 80 mg once a day. The doctor should monitor the patient’s blood pressure closely when starting Kinzalmono, and may decide to adjust the patient’s blood-pressure-lowering medication. Patients with severely reduced kidney function should receive a lower starting dose of 20 mg once a day. Patients with mild or moderately reduced liver function should not receive doses higher than 40 mg a day.

The active substance in Kinzalmono, telmisartan, is an ‘angiotensin-II-receptor antagonist’, which means that it blocks the action of a hormone in the body called angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a powerful vasoconstrictor (a substance that narrows blood vessels). By blocking the receptors to which angiotensin II normally attaches, telmisartan stops the hormone having an effect, allowing the blood vessels to widen. This allows the blood pressure to drop, reducing the risks associated with high blood pressure, such as having a stroke.

A risk management plan has been developed to ensure that Kinzalmono is used as safely as possible. Based on this plan, safety information has been included in the summary of product characteristics and the package leaflet for Kinzalmono, including the appropriate precautions to be followed by healthcare professionals and patients.

The European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for Kinzalmono on 16 December 1998.

For more information about treatment with Kinzalmono, read the package leaflet (also part of the EPAR) or contact your doctor or pharmacist.

The CHMP decided that Kinzalmono’s benefits are greater than its risks and recommended that it be given marketing authorisation.

Kinzalmono has been studied in 1,647 patients who were treated with telmisartan either alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide. Kinzalmono was compared with placebo (a dummy treatment) and with other medicines for hypertension (atenolol, lisinopril, enalapril and amlodipine). The main measure of effectiveness was the reduction in diastolic blood pressure (the blood pressure measured between two heartbeats).

Kinzalmono was more effective than placebo at reducing diastolic blood pressure and had similar effects to the other medicines for hypertension.

Side effects with Kinzalmono are not common. However, the following side effects are seen in between 1 and 10 patients in 1,000: upper respiratory tract infection (colds) including inflammation of the throat and sinuses, urinary tract infection (infection of the structures that carry urine) including bladder infection, anaemia (low red blood cell counts), hyperkalaemia (high blood potassium levels), depression, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), syncope (fainting), vertigo (a spinning sensation), bradycardia (slow heart rate), hypotension (low blood pressure), dyspnoea (difficulty breathing), cough, abdominal pain (stomach ache), diarrhoea, dyspepsia (heartburn), flatulence (gas), vomiting, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), pruritus (itching), rash, myalgia (muscle pain), back pain, muscle spasms, renal impairment (reduced kidney function) including sudden kidney failure, chest pain, asthenia (weakness) and increased blood levels of creatinine (a marker of muscle breakdown). Hypotension may be more common in patients receiving Kinzalmono to prevent cardiovascular problems. For the full list of all side effects reported with Kinzalmono, see the package leaflet.

Kinzalmono must not be used in women who are more than three months pregnant. Its use during the first three months of pregnancy is not recommended. Kinzalmono must not be used in people who have severe liver problems or bile problems. In patients with type 2 diabetes or in patients with moderate or severe kidney impairment, Kinzalmono must also not be used in combination with aliskiren-containing medicines (also used to treat essential hypertension). For the full list of restrictions, see the package leaflet.