Viacoram® now approved in Canada as a new first line treatment in hypertension

LAVAL, QC, Jan. 29, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Viacoram® (perindopril arginine/amlodipine besylate) has received approval by Health Canada as a first line treatment for mild to moderate hypertension.¹  

«Despite our recent progress, hypertension remains a leading risk for premature death in Canada.  Although we have known for several years that an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor paired with a calcium channel blocker is the best one-two punch for knocking down hypertension-related heart disease, Canadians have not had access to such therapy.  The availability of Viacoram® changes that and offers us a very important new weapon in the battle against hypertension and related heart disease and stroke» said Dr. Ross Feldman, member and past chair of the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) and an investigator in the clinical development of Viacoram® in Canada.

«For many years Servier Canada has been supporting all healthcare providers in the management of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. We are very proud today to provide Canadian patients with a new treatment option, especially in the context of the recent SPRINT trial that has shown the importance of a tight blood pressure control. » said Frederic Fasano, CEO of Servier Canada.

Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke and cardiovascular disease in Canada
There are approximately 7.5 million Canadians living with high blood pressure of which 1 out of 3 people with hypertension remain uncontrolled. ² Over 400,000 new cases of hypertension are diagnosed every year.³ Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and death, remaining largely silent until the development of complications.⁴

About Viacoram
Health Canada's approval of Viacoram® is based on a complete clinical development program for newly diagnosed patients and in patients previously treated for hypertension, with or without diabetes or other risk factors. Viacoram® has been studied as part of international controlled randomized trials, including a head-to-head study, to assess the efficacy and the safety of different dosages, one of which was specifically designed for first-line use.  More than 4000 patients with mild to moderate hypertension were included in the development.^1,5,6,7

About Servier Canada
The mission of Servier Canada is to provide the Canadian medical community and their patients the best possible therapeutic solutions. This is driven by the pursuit of innovation in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, metabolic, central nervous system, psychiatric, bone, muscle and joint diseases, as well as cancer.  

References
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[1] Viacoram Product Monograph. January 2016

[2] Hypertension Canada website (www.hypertension.ca/en/mission-and-vision), January 2016

[3] Robitaille C, Dai S, Waters C et al. Diagnosed hypertension in Canada: incidence, prevalence and associated mortality. CMAJ. 2012:184:E49-E56.

[4] Daskalopoulou SS, Rabi DM, Zarnke KB et al. The 2015 Canadian Hypertension Education Program recommendations for blood pressure measurement, diagnosis, assessment of risk, prevention, and treatment of hypertension. Can J Cardiol. 2015:31:549-568

[5] Laurent S, Parati G, Chazova I et al. Randomized evaluation of a novel, fixed-dose combination of perindopril 3.5mg/amlodipine 2.5mg as a first-step treatment in hypertension. J Hypertens. 2015:33:653-661

[6] Elliott WJ, Whitmore J, Feldstein JD et al. Efficacy and safety of perindopril arginine + amlodipine in hypertension. J Am Soc Hypertens. 2015:9:266-274

[7] Mancia G, Asmar R, Amodeo C, Mourad JJ, Taddei S, Gamba MA, Chazova IE, Puig JG. Comparison of single-pill strategies first line in hypertension: perindopril/amlodipine versus valsartan/amlodipine. J Hypertens. 2015;33(2):401-11

 

SOURCE Servier Canada Inc.

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Nadine Doucet, Tel: [phone] Ext: 4225, [email protected]; Website: www.servier.ca