Cor Vasa 2000, 41(6):295-297
Does a new pharmaceutical presentation of nifedipine herald its renaissance?
- Pracoviště preventivní kardiologie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika
Short-acting nifedipine, developed more than 25 years ago, is associated with a relatively high incidence of side effects. Currently, controlled-release (CR) nifedipine with pharmacokinetic properties allowing for once-daily administration is available on the Czech market. The new formulation of nifedipine CR features numerous benefits enhancing patient compliance. A multicentric, randomized, double-blind parallel study designed to compare the efficacy and safety of nifedipine XL (Cordipin XL, Krka, Slovenia) and amlodipine (Norvasc, Pfizer, USA) in patients with arterial hypertension was conducted in the Czech Republic. Both drugs significantly reduced blood pressure and showed a similar incidence of side effects. A large clinical trial (INSIGHT) demonstrated that nifedipine GITS is as effective in the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications as conventional therapy with diuretics.
Keywords: Controlled-release nifedipine; Short-acting nifedipine; Nifedipine XL; INSIGHT study
Published: June 1, 2000 Show citation