Astra's Logimax Could Be First-Line Therapy

A new combination antihypertensive from Swedish drugmaker Astra, Logimax (felodipine 5mg and metoprolol 50mg), could become first-line therapy in the treatment of hypertensives, preliminary results from clinical studies suggest. A multicenter study comparing Logimax with the leading monotherapy enalapril and placebo involving 700 patients have been started, Ove Andersson of the Department of Medicine at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Hospital, Sweden, told an Astra-sponsored conference on the continuing challenge of hypertension, held in Barcelona, Spain, last week.

Preliminary results from a smaller (120-patient) study (more next week) looking at the efficacy and tolerability of Logimax compared with first-line therapy enalapril put the former drug in a most favorable light on both counts, Dr Andersson said.

Logimax currently has European Union Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products approval, and is already being sold in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and Swiss approval. Further European launches are planned for next year, a company spokeswoman told the Marketletter.