Lexxel has been approved for the treatment of hypertension. Lexxel (enalapril maleate-felodipine ER), combines the complementary action of the most frequently prescribed angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor Vasotec (enalapril maleate) and the newer generation long-acting calcium channel blocker (CCB) Plendil (felodipine). Lexxel is expected to be available in pharmacies in March.

Lexxel is a fixed-dose combination product containing 5 mg enalapril and 5 mg felodipine. The medication is indicated for the treatment of hypertension in patients who fail to achieve adequate control with either enalapril or felodipine monotherapy.

In general, treatment with Lexxel is well tolerated with any adverse events being mild and transient. The most frequently observed clinical adverse events occur with an incidence of one percent or greater include headache, peripheral edema and dizziness. As with other combination medications containing ACE inhibitor component, Lexxel should be discontinues as soon as pregnancy is detected.

Hypertension is commonly treated with a variety of individual therapies. Of those treated, one out of two patients are prescribed either an ACE inhibitor or a CCB. When ACE inhibitor or CCB monotherapy falls, physicians often prescribe a combination of the two.

Often referred to as the silent killer, hypertension affects 50 million Americans and is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths annually, according to the American Heart Association. Uncontrolled hypertension has been linked to stroke, heart attack and heart failure. Although the cause of 90-95 percent of cases of hypertension is unknown, the disease can be easily detected and controlled with medication. Despite available treatments, recent public health surveys suggest that only about one in five Americans with hypertension have their blood pressure adequately controlled.