Olmesartan medoxomil: in children and adolescents with hypertension

Olmesartan medoxomil is an orally administered angiotensin II receptor antagonist, selective for the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, which has established antihypertensive efficacy in adults. In children and adolescents with hypertension (n = 302), oral olmesartan medoxomil significantly and dose-dependently reduced seated systolic blood pressure (BP) and seated dystolic BP from baseline (the primary endpoint) in a 3-week, dose-response period in a well designed phase II/III clinical trial. Patients received olmesartan medoxomil high dose (20 or 40 mg once daily depending on bodyweight) or low dose (2.5 or 5.0 mg once daily depending on bodyweight). The response was significant for both cohorts, which were stratified by race (cohort A was mixed race [62% White] and cohort B was 100% Black). In addition, BP control was maintained in olmesartan recipients relative to placebo recipients in cohort A and the combined cohort A + B, but not for patients in cohort B, during a placebo-controlled withdrawal period of this trial. Oral olmesartan medoxomil was generally well tolerated in children and adolescents with hypertension. The majority of adverse events were of mild to moderate intensity.