Twynsta Information
Twynsta () Warning: Avoid Use In Pregnancy
Twynsta () indications And Usage
Twynsta () (telmisartan/amlodipine) tablets are indicated for the treatment of hypertension, alone or with other antihypertensive agents.
Twynsta () tablets may also be used as initial therapy in patients who are likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals.
Base the choice of Twynsta () tablets as initial therapy for hypertension on an assessment of potential benefits and risks including whether the patient is likely to tolerate the starting dose of Twynsta () tablets.
Patients with moderate or severe hypertension are at relatively high risk for cardiovascular events (such as strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure), kidney failure, and vision problems, so prompt treatment is clinically relevant. Consider the patient's baseline blood pressure, the target goal, and the incremental likelihood of achieving goal with a combination compared with monotherapy when deciding whether to use Twynsta () tablets as initial therapy. Individual blood pressure goals may vary based upon the patient’s risk.
Data from an 8-week, placebo-controlled, multidose, factorial trial provide estimates of the probability of reaching a blood pressure goal with Twynsta () compared to telmisartan or amlodipine monotherapy and placebo .
The figures below provide estimates of the likelihood of achieving systolic and diastolic blood pressure control with Twynsta () 80/10 mg tablets, based upon baseline systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The curve of each treatment group was estimated by logistic regression modeling. The estimated likelihood at the right tail of each curve is less reliable due to small numbers of subjects with high baseline blood pressures.
The figures above provide an approximation of the likelihood of reaching a targeted blood pressure goal at 8 weeks. For example, a patient with a baseline blood pressure of 160/110 mmHg has about a 16% likelihood of achieving a goal of
Twynsta () dosage And Administration
Telmisartan is an effective treatment of hypertension in once daily doses of 20-80 mg while amlodipine is effective in doses of 2.5-10 mg.
Dosage must be individualized and may be increased after at least 2 weeks. Most of the antihypertensive effect is apparent within 2 weeks and maximal reduction is generally attained after 4 weeks. The maximum recommended dose of Twynsta () tablets is 80/10 mg once daily.
The adverse reactions of telmisartan are uncommon and independent of dose; those of amlodipine are a mixture of dose-dependent phenomena (primarily peripheral edema) and dose-independent phenomena, the former much more common than the latter .
Twynsta () may be taken with or without food.
Twynsta () tablets may be used to provide additional blood pressure lowering for patients not adequately controlled with amlodipine (or another dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker) alone or with telmisartan (or another angiotensin receptor blocker) alone.
Patients treated with 10 mg amlodipine who experience any dose-limiting adverse reactions such as edema, may be switched to Twynsta () 40/5 mg tablets once daily, reducing the dose of amlodipine without reducing the overall expected antihypertensive response .
A patient may be initiated on Twynsta () tablets if it is unlikely that control of blood pressure would be achieved with a single agent. The usual starting dose of Twynsta () is 40/5 mg once daily. Patients requiring larger blood pressure reductions may be started on Twynsta () 80/5 mg once daily.
Initial therapy with Twynsta () is not recommended in patients ≥75 years old or with hepatic impairment .
Correct imbalances of intravascular volume- or salt-depletion, before initiating therapy with Twynsta () tablets .
Twynsta () dosage Forms And Strengths
Twynsta () tablets are formulated for oral administration in the following strength combinations:
The telmisartan/amlodipine non-scored, multilayer tablets are of oval, biconvex shape. Tablets are white to off-white on one side and blue on the other side. The white side is debossed with the BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM symbol and with either A1, A2, A3, or A4 for the 40/5 mg, 40/10 mg, 80/5 mg, and 80/10 mg strengths, respectively.
Twynsta () contraindications
Twynsta () warnings And Precautions
The use of drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy has been associated with fetal and neonatal injury, including hypotension, neonatal skull hypoplasia, anuria, reversible or irreversible renal failure, and death. Oligohydramnios has also been reported, presumably resulting from decreased fetal renal function; oligohydramnios in this setting has been associated with fetal limb contractures, craniofacial deformation, and hypoplastic lung development. Prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, and patent ductus arteriosus have also been reported, although it is not clear whether these occurrences were due to exposure to the drug.
These adverse effects do not appear to have resulted from intrauterine drug exposure that has been limited to the first trimester. Inform mothers whose embryos and fetuses are exposed to an angiotensin II receptor antagonist only during the first trimester that most reports of fetal toxicity have been associated with second or third trimester exposure. Nonetheless, when patients become pregnant or are considering pregnancy, physicians should have the patient discontinue the use of Twynsta () tablets as soon as possible.
Rarely (probably less often than once in every thousand pregnancies), no alternative to an angiotensin II receptor antagonist will be found. In these rare cases, the mothers should be apprised of the potential hazards to their fetuses, and serial ultrasound examinations should be performed to assess the intra-amniotic environment.
If oligohydramnios is observed, Twynsta () tablets should be discontinued unless they are considered life-saving for the mother. Contraction stress testing (CST), a non-stress test (NST), or biophysical profiling (BPP) may be appropriate, depending upon the week of pregnancy. Patients and physicians should be aware, however, that oligohydramnios may not appear until after the fetus has sustained irreversible injury.
Infants with histories of exposure to an angiotensin II receptor antagonist should be closely observed for hypotension, oliguria, and hyperkalemia. If oliguria occurs, attention should be directed toward support of blood pressure and renal perfusion. Exchange transfusion or dialysis may be required as a means of reversing hypotension and/or substituting for disordered renal function.
If hypotension does occur, place the patient in the supine position and, if necessary, give an intravenous infusion of normal saline. A transient hypotensive response is not a contraindication to further treatment, which usually can be continued without difficulty once the blood pressure has stabilized.
Telmisartan
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In studies of ACE inhibitors in patients with unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis, increases in serum creatinine or blood urea nitrogen were observed. There has been no long term use of telmisartan in patients with unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis, but anticipate an effect similar to that seen with ACE inhibitors.
The ONTARGET trial enrolled 25,620 patients ≥55 years old with atherosclerotic disease or diabetes with end-organ damage, randomized them to telmisartan only, ramipril only, or the combination, and followed them for a median of 56 months. Patients receiving the combination of telmisartan and ramipril did not obtain any additional benefit compared to monotherapy, but experienced an increased incidence of renal dysfunction (e.g., acute renal failure) compared with groups receiving telmisartan alone or ramipril alone. Concomitant use of telmisartan and ramipril is not recommended.
Amlodipine
Amlodipine (5-10 mg per day) has been studied in a placebo-controlled trial of 1153 patients with NYHA Class III or IV heart failure on stable doses of ACE inhibitor, digoxin, and diuretics. Follow-up was at least 6 months, with a mean of about 14 months. There was no overall adverse effect on survival or cardiac morbidity (as defined by life-threatening arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for worsened heart failure). Amlodipine has been compared to placebo in four 8-12 week studies of patients with NYHA class II/III heart failure, involving a total of 697 patients. In these studies, there was no evidence of worsening of heart failure based on measures of exercise tolerance, NYHA classification, symptoms, or LVEF. In the PRAISE-2 study, 1654 patients with NYHA class III (80%) or IV (20%) heart failure without evidence of underlying ischemic disease, on stable doses of ACE inhibitor (99%), digitalis (99%), and diuretics (99%) were randomized 1:1 to receive placebo or amlodipine and followed for a mean of 33 months. While there was no statistically significant difference between amlodipine and placebo in the primary endpoint of all cause mortality (95% confidence limits from 8% reduction to 29% increase on amlodipine), there were more reports of pulmonary edema in the patients on amlodipine.
Twynsta () adverse Reactions
Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reactions rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
In the placebo-controlled factorial design study, the population treated with a telmisartan and amlodipine combination had a mean age of 53 years and included approximately 50% males, 79% were Caucasian, 17% Blacks, and 4% Asians. Patients received doses ranging from 20/2.5 mg to 80/10 mg orally, once daily.
The frequency of adverse reactions was not related to gender, age, or race.
The adverse reactions that occurred in the placebo-controlled factorial design trial in ≥2% of patients treated with Twynsta () and at a higher incidence in Twynsta () -treated patients (n=789) than placebo-treated patients (n=46) were peripheral edema (4.8% vs 0%), dizziness (3.0% vs 2.2%), and back pain (2.2% vs 0%). Edema (other than peripheral edema), hypotension, and syncope were reported in
In the placebo-controlled factorial design trial, discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 2.2% of all treatment cells of patients in the telmisartan/amlodipine-treated patients and in 4.3% in the placebo-treated group. The most common reasons for discontinuation of therapy with Twynsta () tablets were peripheral edema, dizziness, and hypotension (each ≤0.5%).
Peripheral edema is a known, dose-dependent adverse reaction of amlodipine, but not of telmisartan. In the factorial design study, the incidence of peripheral edema during the 8 week, randomized, double-blind treatment period was highest with amlodipine 10 mg monotherapy. The incidence was notably lower when telmisartan was used in combination with amlodipine 10 mg.
In placebo-controlled trials involving 1041 patients treated with various doses of telmisartan (20-160 mg) monotherapy for up to 12 weeks, an overall incidence of adverse events was similar to the patients treated with placebo.
Adverse events occurring at an incidence of ≥1% in patients treated with telmisartan and at a greater rate than in patients treated with placebo, irrespective of their causal association, are presented in Table 2.
In addition to the adverse events in the table, the following events occurred at a rate of ≥1% but were at least as frequent in the placebo group: influenza-like symptoms, dyspepsia, myalgia, urinary tract infection, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, pain, fatigue, coughing, hypertension, chest pain, nausea, and peripheral edema. Discontinuation of therapy because of adverse events was required in 2.8% of 1455 patients treated with telmisartan tablets and 6.1% of 380 placebo patients in placebo-controlled clinical trials.
The incidence of adverse events was not dose-related and did not correlate with gender, age, or race of patients.
The incidence of cough occurring with telmisartan in 6 placebo-controlled trials was identical to that noted for placebo-treated patients (1.6%).
In addition to those listed above, adverse events that occurred in >0.3% of 3500 patients treated with telmisartan monotherapy in controlled or open trials are listed below. It cannot be determined whether these events were causally related to telmisartan tablets: impotence, increased sweating, flushing; allergy, fever, leg pain, malaise; palpitation, dependent edema, angina pectoris, tachycardia, leg edema, abnormal ECG; insomnia, somnolence, migraine, vertigo, paresthesia, involuntary muscle contractions, hypoesthesia; flatulence, constipation, gastritis, vomiting, dry mouth, hemorrhoids, gastroenteritis, enteritis, gastroesophageal reflux, toothache, non-specific gastrointestinal disorders; gout, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus; arthritis, arthralgia, leg cramps; anxiety, depression, nervousness; infection, fungal infection, abscess, otitis media; asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, dyspnea, epistaxis; dermatitis, rash, eczema, pruritus; micturition frequency, cystitis; cerebrovascular disorder; and abnormal vision, conjunctivitis, tinnitus, earache.
During initial clinical studies, a single case of angioedema was reported (among a total of 3781 patients treated).
Other adverse experiences which were not clearly dose related but which were reported with an incidence greater than 1% in placebo-controlled clinical trials are presented in Table 4.
The following events occurred in 0.1% of patients in controlled clinical trials or under conditions of open trials or marketing experience where a causal relationship is uncertain; they are listed to alert the physician to a possible relationship: arrhythmia (including ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation), bradycardia, chest pain, hypotension, peripheral ischemia, syncope, tachycardia, postural dizziness, postural hypotension, vasculitis; hypoesthesia, neuropathy peripheral, paresthesia, tremor, vertigo; anorexia, constipation, dyspepsia, dysphagia, diarrhea, flatulence, pancreatitis, vomiting, gingival hyperplasia, change of bowel habit; allergic reaction, asthenia, back pain, hot flushes, malaise, pain, rigors, weight gain, weight decrease; arthralgia, arthrosis, muscle cramps,** myalgia; sexual dysfunction (male** and female), insomnia, nervousness, depression, abnormal dreams, anxiety, depersonalization, mood change; dyspnea, epistaxis; angioedema, erythema multiforme, pruritus, rash, rash erythematous, rash maculopapular; abnormal vision, conjunctivitis, diplopia, eye pain, tinnitus; micturition frequency, micturition disorder, nocturia; dry mouth, sweating increased; hyperglycemia, thirst; leukopenia, purpura, thrombocytopenia. These events occurred in less than 1% in placebo-controlled trials, but the incidence of these side effects was between 1% and 2% in all multiple dose studies.
The following events occurred in
Other reactions occurred sporadically and cannot be distinguished from medications or concurrent disease states such as myocardial infarction and angina.
Amlodipine has not been associated with clinically significant changes in routine laboratory tests. No clinically relevant changes were noted in serum potassium, serum glucose, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, or creatinine.
Amlodipine has been used safely in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, well-compensated congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and abnormal lipid profiles.
Adverse reactions reported for amlodipine for indications other than hypertension may be found in the prescribing information for Norvasc.
The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of telmisartan or amlodipine. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to estimate reliably their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Decisions to include these reactions in labeling are typically based on one or more of the following factors: seriousness of the reaction, frequency of reporting, or strength of causal connection to telmisartan or amlodipine.
Rare cases of rhabdomyolysis have been reported in patients receiving angiotensin II receptor blockers, including telmisartan.
Twynsta () drug Interactions
The pharmacokinetics of amlodipine and telmisartan are not altered when the drugs are co-administered.
No drug interaction studies have been conducted with Twynsta () tablets and other drugs, although studies have been conducted with the individual amlodipine and telmisartan components of Twynsta () tablets, as described below:
The antihypertensive effect of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, including telmisartan may be attenuated by NSAIDs including selective COX-2 inhibitors.
In clinical trials, amlodipine has been safely administered with thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, long-acting nitrates, sublingual nitroglycerin, digoxin, warfarin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and oral hypoglycemic drugs.
The following have no clinically relevant effects on the pharmacokinetics of amlodipine: cimetidine, grapefruit juice, Maalox, sildenafil.
Amlodipine has no clinically relevant effects on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of the following: atorvastatin, digoxin, warfarin.
Twynsta () overdosage
Overdosage might be expected to cause excessive peripheral vasodilation with marked hypotension. In humans, experience with intentional overdosage of amlodipine is limited. Reports of intentional overdosage include a patient who ingested 250 mg and was asymptomatic and was not hospitalized; another (120 mg) who was hospitalized underwent gastric lavage and remained normotensive; the third (105 mg) was hospitalized and had hypotension (90/50 mmHg) which normalized following plasma expansion. A case of accidental drug overdose has been documented in a 19-month-old male who ingested 30 mg amlodipine (about 2 mg/kg). During the emergency room presentation, vital signs were stable with no evidence of hypotension, but a heart rate of 180 bpm. Ipecac was administered 3.5 hours after ingestion and on subsequent observation (overnight) no sequelae was noted.
If massive overdose should occur, active cardiac and respiratory monitoring should be instituted. Frequent blood pressure measurements are essential. Should hypotension occur, cardiovascular support including elevation of the extremities and the judicious administration of fluids should be initiated. If hypotension remains unresponsive to these conservative measures, administration of vasopressors (such as phenylephrine) should be considered with attention to circulating volume and urine output. Intravenous calcium gluconate may help to reverse the effects of calcium entry blockade. As amlodipine is highly protein bound, hemodialysis is not likely to be of benefit.
Twynsta () description
Twynsta () is a fixed dose combination of telmisartan and amlodipine.
Twynsta () tablets contain telmisartan, a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor (type AT) antagonist. Telmisartan is a white to slightly yellowish solid. It is practically insoluble in water and in the pH range of 3 to 9, sparingly soluble in strong acid (except insoluble in hydrochloric acid), and soluble in strong base. Telmisartan is chemically described as 4'-[(1,4'-dimethyl-2'-propyl [2,6'-bi-1H-benzimidazol]-1'-yl)methyl]-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid. Its empirical formula is CHNO and its structural formula is:
Twynsta () tablets contain the besylate salt of amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker (CCB). Amlodipine besylate is a white to pale yellow crystalline powder, slightly soluble in water and sparingly soluble in ethanol. Amlodipine besylate’s chemical name is 3-Ethyl-5-methyl(4RS)-2-[(2-aminoethoxy)methyl]-4-(2-chlorophenyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate benzenesulphonate. Its empirical formula is CHClNO•CHOS and its structural formula is:
Twynsta () tablets are formulated in four strengths for oral administration with a combination of amlodipine besylate, equivalent to 5 mg or 10 mg of amlodipine free-base, with 40 mg, or 80 mg of telmisartan provided in the following four combinations: 40/5 mg, 40/10 mg, 80/5 mg, and 80/10 mg.
Twynsta () tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients: sodium hydroxide, povidone, meglumine, sorbitol, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, corn starch, colloidal silicon dioxide, ferric oxide black, ferric oxide yellow and FD&C blue #1.
Twynsta () tablets are hygroscopic and require protection from moisture.
Twynsta () tablets require protection from light.
Twynsta () clinical Pharmacology
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There is also an AT receptor found in many tissues, but AT is not known to be associated with cardiovascular homeostasis. Telmisartan has much greater affinity (>3,000 fold) for the AT receptor than for the AT receptor.
Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system with ACE inhibitors, which inhibit the biosynthesis of angiotensin II from angiotensin I, is widely used in the treatment of hypertension. ACE inhibitors also inhibit the degradation of bradykinin, a reaction also catalyzed by ACE. Because telmisartan does not inhibit ACE (kininase II), it does not affect the response to bradykinin. Whether this difference has clinical relevance is not yet known. Telmisartan does not bind to or block other hormone receptors or ion channels known to be important in cardiovascular regulation.
Blockade of the angiotensin II receptor inhibits the negative regulatory feedback of angiotensin II on renin secretion, but the resulting increased plasma renin activity and angiotensin II circulating levels do not overcome the effect of telmisartan on blood pressure.
Amlodipine is a peripheral arterial vasodilator that acts directly on vascular smooth muscle to cause a reduction in peripheral vascular resistance and reduction in blood pressure.
Both telmisartan and amlodipine, lower blood pressure by reducing peripheral resistance but through complementary mechanisms.
Plasma concentration of angiotensin II and plasma renin activity (PRA) increased in a dose-dependent manner after single administration of telmisartan to healthy subjects and repeated administration to hypertensive patients. The once-daily administration of up to 80 mg telmisartan to healthy subjects did not influence plasma aldosterone concentrations. In multiple dose studies with hypertensive patients, there were no clinically significant changes in electrolytes (serum potassium or sodium), or in metabolic function (including serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, glucose, or uric acid).
In 30 hypertensive patients with normal renal function treated for 8 weeks with telmisartan 80 mg or telmisartan 80 mg in combination with hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, there were no clinically significant changes from baseline in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, filtration fraction, renovascular resistance, or creatinine clearance.
With chronic once daily administration, antihypertensive effectiveness is maintained for at least 24 hours. Plasma concentrations correlate with effect in both young and elderly patients. The magnitude of reduction in blood pressure with amlodipine is also correlated with the height of pretreatment elevation; thus, individuals with moderate hypertension (diastolic pressure 105–114 mmHg) had about a 50% greater response than patients with mild hypertension (diastolic pressure 90–104 mmHg). Normotensive subjects experienced no clinically significant change in blood pressure (+1/-2 mmHg).
In hypertensive patients with normal renal function, therapeutic doses of amlodipine resulted in a decrease in renal vascular resistance and an increase in glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow without change in filtration fraction or proteinuria.
As with other calcium channel blockers, hemodynamic measurements of cardiac function at rest and during exercise (or pacing) in patients with normal ventricular function treated with amlodipine have generally demonstrated a small increase in cardiac index without significant influence on dP/dt or on left ventricular end diastolic pressure or volume. In hemodynamic studies, amlodipine has not been associated with a negative inotropic effect when administered in the therapeutic dose range to intact animals and man, even when co-administered with beta-blockers to man. Similar findings, however, have been observed in normal or well-compensated patients with heart failure with agents possessing significant negative inotropic effects.
Amlodipine does not change sinoatrial nodal function or atrioventricular conduction in intact animals or man. In patients with chronic stable angina, intravenous administration of 10 mg did not significantly alter A-H and H-V conduction and sinus node recovery time after pacing. Similar results were obtained in patients receiving amlodipine and concomitant beta-blockers. In clinical studies in which amlodipine was administered in combination with beta-blockers to patients with either hypertension or angina, no adverse effects of electrocardiographic parameters were observed. In clinical trials with angina patients alone, amlodipine therapy did not alter electrocardiographic intervals or produce higher degrees of AV blocks.
Amlodipine has indications other than hypertension which can be found in the Norvasc package insert.
After administering Twynsta () 80/10 mg tablet with a high-fat meal, the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and C for telmisartan decreased by about 24% and 60%, respectively. For amlodipine, AUC and C were not altered .
Elimination of amlodipine from the plasma is biphasic with a terminal elimination half-life of about 30 to 50 hours. Steady state plasma levels of amlodipine are reached after 7 to 8 days of consecutive daily dosing.
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Telmisartan is metabolized by conjugation to form a pharmacologically inactive acylglucuronide; the glucuronide of the parent compound is the only metabolite that has been identified in human plasma and urine. After a single dose, the glucuronide represents approximately 11% of the measured radioactivity in plasma. The cytochrome P450 isoenzymes are not involved in the metabolism of telmisartan.
Total plasma clearance of telmisartan is >800 mL/min. Terminal half-life and total clearance appear to be independent of dose.
Plasma concentrations of telmisartan are generally 2–3 times higher in females than in males. In clinical trials, however, no significant increases in blood pressure response or in the incidence of orthostatic hypotension were found in women. No dosage adjustment is necessary.
Twynsta () nonclinical Toxicology
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Genotoxicity assays did not reveal any telmisartan-related effects at either the gene or chromosome level. These assays included bacterial mutagenicity tests with and (Ames), a gene mutation test with Chinese hamster V79 cells, a cytogenetic test with human lymphocytes, and a mouse micronucleus test.
No drug-related effects on the reproductive performance of male and female rats were noted at 100 mg/kg/day (the highest dose administered), about 13 times, on a mg/m basis, the MRHD of telmisartan. This dose in the rat resulted in an average systemic exposure (telmisartan AUC as determined on day 6 of pregnancy) at least 50 times the average systemic exposure in humans at the MRHD (80 mg/day).
Mutagenicity studies conducted with amlodipine maleate revealed no drug-related effects at either the gene or chromosome level.
There was no effect on the fertility of rats treated orally with amlodipine maleate (males for 64 days and females for 14 days prior to mating) at doses of up to 10 mg amlodipine/kg/day (about 10 times the MRHD of 10 mg/day on a mg/m basis).
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Twynsta () clinical Studies
The efficacy of Twynsta () tablets for treatment of hypertension was studied in 1 placebo-controlled and 2 active-controlled trials.
An 8-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group factorial study in patients with mild to severe hypertension was conducted to determine if treatment with Twynsta () was more effective in reducing blood pressure compared to the respective monotherapies. The study randomized 1461 patients with baseline systolic blood pressure between 117 and 179 mmHg (mean 153 mmHg) and a baseline diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 119 (mean 102 mmHg) to one of the 16 treatment arms. Patients assigned to receive amlodipine 10 mg started on amlodipine 5 mg or combinations thereof for the first two weeks. The four key treatment combinations (including combinations of telmisartan 40 or 80 mg and amlodipine 5 or 10 mg) had statistically significant reduction in in-clinic seated trough cuff systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the respective individual monotherapies (Table 5).
The majority of the antihypertensive effect of the telmisartan/amlodipine combination was attained within 2 weeks after initiation of therapy. In patients receiving a telmisartan/amlodipine combination significantly larger reductions in seated diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to patients treated with the respective monotherapies were observed at every assessment (Week 2, 4, 6, and 8).
The antihypertensive effect of Twynsta () tablets was similar in patients ≥65 years than below 65 years of age, in male and female patients, and in patients with and without diabetes.
The magnitude of blood pressure lowering in black patients approached that observed in non-black patients but the number of black patients was limited (237 of 1461 patients).
Automated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) performed in a subset of 562 patients confirmed the results seen with in-clinic systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions over the entire 24-hours dosing period.
In a double-blind, active-controlled study, a total of 1097 patients with mild to severe hypertension (mean baseline systolic/diastolic BP 149.5/96.6 mmHg) who were not adequately controlled on amlodipine 5 mg received Twynsta () (40/5 mg or 80/5 mg) or amlodipine alone (5 mg or 10 mg). After 8 weeks administration, each of the combination treatments was statistically significantly superior to both amlodipine monotherapy doses in reducing diastolic and systolic blood pressures. Edema related events (peripheral edema, generalized edema, and edema) in patients who received Twynsta () (40/5 mg or 80/5 mg) were significantly lower as compared to patients who received amlodipine 10 mg (4.3% vs 27.2%, respectively).
In a second double-blind, active-controlled study, a total of 947 patients with mild to severe hypertension (mean baseline systolic/diastolic BP 147.5/95.6 mmHg) who were not adequately controlled on amlodipine 10 mg received Twynsta () (40/10 mg or 80/10 mg) or amlodipine alone (10 mg). After 8 weeks, each of the combination treatments was statistically significantly superior to amlodipine monotherapy in reducing diastolic and systolic blood pressures.
The antihypertensive effects of telmisartan have been demonstrated in six principal placebo-controlled clinical trials, studying a range of 20-160 mg; one of these examined the antihypertensive effects of telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide in combination. The studies involved a total of 1773 patients with mild to moderate hypertension (diastolic blood pressure of 95 to 114 mmHg), 1031 of whom were treated with telmisartan. Following once daily administration of telmisartan, the magnitude of blood pressure reduction from baseline after placebo subtraction was approximately (SBP/DBP) 6-8/6 mmHg for 20 mg, 9-13/6-8 mmHg for 40 mg, and 12-13/7-8 mmHg for 80 mg. Larger doses (up to 160 mg) did not appear to cause a further decrease in blood pressure.
Upon initiation of antihypertensive treatment with telmisartan, blood pressure was reduced after the first dose, with a maximal reduction by about 4 weeks. With cessation of treatment with telmisartan tablets, blood pressure gradually returned to baseline values over a period of several days to one week. During long term studies (without placebo control) the effect of telmisartan appeared to be maintained for up to at least one year. The antihypertensive effect of telmisartan is not influenced by patient age, gender, weight, or body mass index. Blood pressure response in black patients (usually a low-renin population) is noticeably less than that in Caucasian patients. This has been true for most, but not all, angiotensin II antagonists and ACE inhibitors.
In a controlled study, the addition of telmisartan to hydrochlorothiazide produced an additional dose-related reduction in blood pressure that was similar in magnitude to the reduction achieved with telmisartan monotherapy. Hydrochlorothiazide also had an added blood pressure effect when added to telmisartan.
The onset of antihypertensive activity occurs within 3 hours after administration of a single oral dose. At doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg, the antihypertensive effect of once daily administration of telmisartan is maintained for the full 24-hour dose interval. With automated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and conventional blood pressure measurements, the 24-hour trough-to-peak ratio for 40 to 80 mg doses of telmisartan was 70 to 100% for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The incidence of symptomatic orthostasis after the first dose in all controlled trials was low (0.04%).
There were no changes in the heart rate of patients treated with telmisartan in controlled trials.
Twynsta () how Supplied/storage And Handling
Twynsta () tablets are available as non-scored, white–off-white/blue, multilayer tablets of oval, biconvex shape containing telmisartan and amlodipine in the strengths described below. Twynsta () tablets are debossed with a BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM symbol and an individual product tablet code on one side. Twynsta () tablets are supplied for oral administration in the following strengths and package configurations:
Twynsta () patient Counseling Information
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Patient labeling is provided as a tear-off leaflet at the end of this prescribing information.
Norvasc is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc. Maalox is a registered trademark of Novartis.
Distributed by: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Ridgefield, CT 06877 USA
Licensed from: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany
Copyright 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
OT25024PK222011 71553-10
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