Swissmedic approves Novartis

Swiss drug major Novartis' Rasilez HCT (aliskiren and hydrochlorothiazide), a single-pill combination of two high blood pressure medicines - the first-in-class direct renin inhibitor Rasilez (aliskiren) and the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide - has been approved by Swissmedic as a new treatment for high blood pressure. The first new type of blood pressure medicine in over a decade, Rasilez, known as Tekturna in the USA, provides effective blood pressure lowering that lasts beyond 24 hours, Novartis noted, adding that HCT is one of the most commonly-used diuretics in the treatment of hypertension, which affects nearly one in four adults worldwide. The Basel-headquartered firm said it expects Europe-wide approval early next year.