Eprosartan: An angiotensin-II receptor antagonist for the management of hypertension

Eprosartan is a competitive angiotensin-II receptor antagonist with a high affinity for the angiotensin-II subtype 1 receptor. The drug has an elimination half-life of approximately 5 to 9 hours and duration of antihypertensive effect of up to 24 hours. The antihypertensive efficacy of eprosartan has been examined in a number of placebo-controlled, dose-finding, and comparative trials. Results of these clinical trials have consistently shown statistically significant differences in antihypertensive efficacy favoring eprosartan doses of 400 mg or greater per day over placebo. Eprosartan was also shown to be at least as effective as enalapril at lowering blood pressure in patients with mild to severe hypertension. The frequency of adverse events observed with eprosartan has been similar to that seen with placebo. In addition, there are no clinically significant drug interactions associated with eprosartan. Given the excellent tolerability and drug-interaction profiles of eprosartan, the use of this agent may help to improve patient compliance to a drug regimen. In addition, eprosartan may be particularly advantageous when used as a part of combination therapy for the management of hypertension.