Outcomes

Landmark trial ONTARGET^® proves telmisartan is as protective as ramipril and better tolerated in a broad high-risk cardiovascular population.

Results of 25,620 patient study ONTARGET^® (ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial) presented today at the 57th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology

The results of the landmark ONTARGET^® Trial have proven that telmisartan (MICARDIS^®) is as protective as the current gold standard, ramipril, in reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and hospitalisation for congestive heart failure in a broad cross-section of high-risk cardiovascular patients and with better tolerability.

These cardiovascular events occurred in 16.66% of patients receiving telmisartan versus 16.46% of patients receiving ramipril. The relative risk (ratio of the probability of the event occurring in the telmisartan group versus the ramipril group) was 1.01, with a 95% CI of 0.94 -1.09.

“The ONTARGET^® Trial shows that telmisartan is a well-tolerated treatment in high-risk cardiovascular patients that is as effective as ramipril in preventing heart attacks, stroke, hospitalisations for heart failure and deaths”, said Professor Salim Yusuf, lead investigator of the ONTARGET^® Trial Programme and Director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. ”The ONTARGET results have important implications for the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. We now have a new treatment option for high-risk patients which is effective and better tolerated.”

Telmisartan was also shown to be significantly better tolerated than ramipril, a widely used angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE), with respect to typical ACE-inhibitor side-effects; it was associated with a higher treatment compliance. Besides efficacy, tolerability and compliance are also important factors to consider as they are crucial for effective long-term treatment for the prevention of serious cardiovascular events.

ONTARGET^® also studied the value of combining telmisartan with ramipril, to answer a key question for the clinical community – does combining an ACE inhibitor and an ARB, i.e. the dual renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade, offer even better protection compared to single blockade? The results announced today indicate that there is no additional protective benefit achieved for the overall patient population, if ramipril and telmisartan are combined.

Telmisartan is now the only angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) to have proven cardio & vascular protective benefits beyond blood pressure reduction in this high-risk population. Until now, only the ACE-inhibitor ramipril had shown these protective effects.

References

1. The ONTARGET Investigators. Telmisartan, ramipril, or both in patients at high risk for vascular events. N Eng J Med. Published online 31 Mar 2008.

For Further Information:

• Click here to download the ONTARGET^® publication
• View the exclusive ONTARGET^® webcast