Lercanidipine, a new third generation Ca-antagonist in the treatment of hypertension

Journal of Clinical and Basic Cardiology 1999; 2 (2): 169-174

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Keywords: Hypertonie,  Kalziumantagonist,  Lercanidipin,  calcium antagonist,  hypertension,  lercanidipine

Recently several large endpoint studies have clearly established the importance of antihypertensive treatment in the prevention of cardiovascular death. Calcium antagonists clearly have their place within the therapeutic efforts aimed at cardiovascular risk control. Despite former debates on side effects and safety problems calcium channel blockers thus still hold an important position in the treatment of systemic hypertension. While earlier developments have focused on increasing potency and selectivity of calcium channel blockers, the most recent developments have brought about drugs with a particularly slow onset and long duration of action. The latest designer-drug in this context is lercanidipine. This particular calcium channel blocker combines practically all desired effects. Pharmacologically the drug has a high lipophilicity which enables a long duration and a single-dose use. It has a unique binding profile which guarantees constant calcium antagonistic action independent of serum concentration changes. The proportion of responding patients lies between 70 and 90 %. The ideal dosage is 10 to 20 mg per day. Adverse effects are few and elderly patients profit from the drug. Thousands of patients throughout Europe have so far been treated with lercanidipine successfully. In particular, the cardiovascular side effects seen with earlier dihydropyridines such as nifedipine are virtually absent with lercanidipine. J Clin Basic Cardiol 1999; 2: 169-74.