FDA approves combo antihypertensives as initial therapy

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Novartis' Diovan HCT (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) and Exforge (amlodipine and valsartan) as first-line therapies in antihypertensive patients who are likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals. According to the East Hanover, N.J., firm, this approval spares health professionals from having to start a patient on a single medication, increasing the dose, and then adding on another medication-a protracted process that delays the time it takes to reach optimal outcomes.

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