Merck & Co of the USA launched the first angiotensin II antagonist Cozaar (losartan) onto the market in 1994. There are a number of other such products being developed or nearing the market, which include: Sanofi of France's irbesartan; Ciba of Switzerland's valsartan; American Home Products' tasosartan; the Anglo-American company SmithKline Beecham's eprosartan; and telmisartan from Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim.
Angiotensin II antagonists are presented as being more specific in action than the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. This increased specificity is believed to result in fewer side effects. However, it has been suggested by some analysts that doctors will not perceive angiotensin II antagonists as distinctly different from the ACE inhibitors, and will therefore not consider it cost-effective to switch patients to the newer products, according to a report produced by IMS' Pharma Strategy Group's interactive forecasting system Zarus.
The report assesses the future potential of angiotensin II antagonists in the hypertension market in four major European countries, France, Germany, Italy and the UK.
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