Essential Hypertension

MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2024 /CNW/ - Pharmascience Canada is proud to announce the launch of pms-PERINDOPRIL-AMLODIPINE (perindopril arginine and amlodipine), a drug indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension in adults aged 18 to 65 for whom combination therapy is appropriate. This oral treatment contains two medicines, perindopril arginine and amlodipine. They work together to control the blood pressure. pms-PERINDOPRIL-AMLODIPINE are available in bottles of 100 tablets and comes in the following dosage forms: 3.5 mg / 2.5 mg (this treatment is indicated for initial therapy in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.) 7 mg / 5 mg 14 mg / 10 mg This medication is a generic equivalent of Viacoram MD1. pms-PERINDOPRIL-AMLODIPINE tablets are available at affordable prices. « We are excited to introduce Perindopril Amlodipine to the Canadian market, as it reflects our mission to improve the health and quality of life of Canadians through innovative and high-quality products, » said Mike Dutton, Vice-President and General Manager of Pharmascience Canada. « Perindopril Amlodipine is manufactured in our Canadian facility which is another example of how we leverage our expertise and capabilities to deliver value to our customers and patients. » ABOUT PHARMASCIENCE INC. Founded in 1983, Pharmascience Inc. is the largest pharmaceutical employer in Quebec with 1,500 employees proudly headquartered in Montreal. Pharmascience Inc. is a full-service privately owned pharmaceutical company with strong roots in Canada and a growing global reach with product distribution in over 50 countries. Ranked 50th among Canada's top 100 Research & Development (R&D) investors in 2022, with 40-50 million dollars invested each year, Pharmascience Inc. is among the largest drug manufacturers in Canada. Pharmascience Inc. has strong values based on the importance of investing in its employees and young people. Through various programs and initiatives, the company ensures it supports their personal development and life. In 2024, the company was awarded Great Place to Work certification for the third year running. PRVIACORAM®1 is a registered trademark owned by Servier Canada Inc. For product information, please contact Pharmascience's Medical Information Department at 1-888-550-6060. SOURCE Pharmascience Inc.

Study published in JAHA validates use of proprietary technology to identify personalized dose regimen, leading to improved blood pressure control and exceptionally high adherence in hypertension patients Findings will guide the Company’s strategy to expand portfolio of differentiated dose-optimized therapies, including within GLP-1 market LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Closed Loop Medicine Ltd., a leading TechBio company developing combination prescription drug plus software therapy products that deliver personalized dose optimization, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) (1). The study describes results of the PERSONAL-CovidBP clinical trial; demonstrating the capabilities of the Company’s integrated precision care solution, CLM-HT01, to successfully control blood pressure (BP) whilst minimizing side effects and supporting medication adherence in participants with primary hypertension. The findings will be applied to drive further development of CLM-HT01 and the Company’s extended pipeline of combination products in other therapeutic areas, aiming to deliver precision dosing at population scale. Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and premature death worldwide. Despite being a first-line recommended anti-hypertensive drug, ~20% of patients discontinue amlodipine after a single prescription largely due to unwanted effects, such as peripheral oedema, which is strongly dependent on dose. CLM-HT01 is a single label combination product in development, linking Closed Loop Medicine’s proprietary software as a medical device (SaMD) with amlodipine, designed to support more effective, precise, and affordable disease management solutions to improve outcomes for patients and streamline clinician input. The study “Personalized antihypertensive treatment optimization with smartphone-enabled remote precision dosing of amlodipine during the COVID-19 pandemic” reinforces the ability to use a digital companion alongside traditional therapeutics to optimize clinical outcomes. This was achieved by adjusting and personalizing drug dosing using information recorded by participants into a dedicated smartphone app and transmitted securely to a clinician. Clinically significant reductions in BP were rapidly observed, with the majority of participants achieving BP control and minimizing side effects, including those previously intolerant of conventional amlodipine doses. High adherence rates were reported (both app usage and medication) and patient retention was exceptionally high with no discontinuations due to drug intolerance. The findings build on preliminary results published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2) and the Journal of Human Hypertension (3). Dr. Hakim Yadi OBE, CEO & Co-Founder of Closed Loop Medicine, commented: “These findings are invaluable in demonstrating the power of personalizing the dose of existing therapeutics in areas as widely impactful as hypertension. We now want to take these learnings and apply them more broadly where we feel they will have the most impact, for example to minimize the adverse effects limiting GLP-1 programmes – an area currently seeing huge attention.” He added: “To improve patient outcomes, we need to shift to a world where we treat the individual, not just the disease. Our inventions will work in combination with medicine to deliver personalized, optimized dosing; improving human health.” Dr. David Collier, the lead trial investigator from Queen Mary University of London, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have the final results from the PERSONAL-CovidBP trial published in the JAHA, a leading open access scientific journal.” He added: “We wanted to use personalized dosing of amlodipine, and had worked with our patients to develop a digital platform to allow this. Working remotely due to COVID we still managed to recruit, triage (selected participants according to home blood pressure), and then treat patients with this novel approach. Often starting with very small doses, empowering participants to share both wanted and unwanted effects of medication helped us to work together to reduce blood pressure while minimizing any side-effects. Some participants who had never tolerated full doses of any blood pressure medication got control for the first time.” Dr. Mike Taylor, Senior Vice President Clinical Development of Closed Loop Medicine, added: “Data generated in this study in hypertension demonstrate significant benefits offered by precision dose titration enabled by a dedicated smart phone app. This novel technology enables clinicians to efficiently personalize and optimize therapy routines for patients, leading to improved health outcomes by finding a better balance between efficacy and unwanted effects. Daily self-monitoring and side effect reporting empowers patients through a more comprehensive understanding of how medication impacts overall wellbeing, whilst providing more peace of mind knowing that a clinician is able to assess changes in real-time and optimize the tolerability and efficacy of said drug treatment.” PERSONAL-CovidBP was part-funded by Innovate UK and run by the William Harvey Clinical Research Centre at Queen Mary University of London, part of the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Barts NHS Trust in London. Collier D et al. 2024. Taylor M et al. 2022. (22)02988-6 Collier D et al. 2022. View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Lily Jeffery lily.jeffery@zymecommunications.com Source: Closed Loop Medicine View this news release online at:

Hypertension is a growing concern in the U.S. Today, it’s estimated that about 122 million adults – more than half the population over age 20 – have high blood pressure. Yet data suggests that only one in four have their hypertension under control, despite doctors recommending prescription medications and lifestyle changes to decrease their risks. Furthermore, at least 14 million more individuals may not even realize they have hypertension and thus are not taking the necessary steps to control their blood pressure. Underserved populations – such as those who don’t have access to quality healthcare because of where they live, lack of health insurance, racial or ethnic disparities, or socioeconomic factors – make up the vast majority of those who are either unaware of their hypertension or not properly addressing it to minimize the chance of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney and eye problems. Such inattention to hypertension is costly. Adults with hypertension face healthcare costs of nearly $2,000 more per year compared to those with normal blood pressure. And the total cost of healthcare services, medications to treat high blood pressure and loss of productivity from premature death is estimated to be as much as $198 billion annually. Reaching underserved communities through remote patient monitoring To overcome the health risks and costs associated with hypertension, the healthcare community must find new ways to reach these underserved populations. Regular doctor visits are important. Yet for many, this step is a challenge. Fortunately, there are ways to better reach these individuals where they are, breaking down the barriers and making healthcare more accessible. One effective way is through digital health technologies, such as cellular-enabled blood pressure monitors and remote monitoring platforms. Leveraging such offerings, patients are provided with connected devices and are instructed to take daily readings in the comfort of their own homes. The data is transmitted via cellular networks to their care providers, who, through the help of insights from remote patient monitoring (RPM) platforms and electronic health records (EHRs), can determine if medication or lifestyle changes are needed – all without the patient stepping foot in the office. Gaining momentum and achieving results for patients with hypertension RPM is gaining considerable momentum for as a tool for managing hypertension across populations. An analysis of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services codes show that 51% of all RPM claims in 2021 were related to the diagnosis of primary hypertension, with another 5.4% for blood pressure diagnosis, hypertension with complications and secondary hypertension. More importantly, there are measurable results from using RPM to manage hypertension. Take, for example, the experience of a Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in California launched an RPM program in March 2021 because many patients were missing blood pressure readings and having problems controlling their hypertension. At the onset of the RPM pilot program, NEVHC patients reported a 38% control rate of their high blood pressure. By providing technology they could easily use at home to provide regular blood pressure data to their doctors, these patients increased their control rate to 70% within just five months. RPM is also benefiting new mothers, who are at high risk of complications from postpartum hypertension, a leading cause of postpartum hospital readmissions and severe maternal morbidity. A private, not-for-profit academic medical center in the northeast that serves a diverse, safety-net population, implemented RPM for its new mothers. By collecting patient data from cellular-connected blood pressure cuffs used at home, this intervention provided an important safety net since blood pressure spikes often happen three days to six weeks after birth, well after most women are released from the hospital. In an abstract published in the American Heart Association Journal, Circulation, the medical center reported success ascertaining multiple BP measures in the postpartum period for more than 500 patients. This included nearly 9,000 total BP readings, 914 high blood pressure alerts and about 800 messages between the care team and patients that enabled them to address significant health changes, to provide better postpartum care and to answer important questions. Funding is required for equity in healthcare These pioneering examples of hypertension management show how RPM can be effectively used to provide high-quality care to underserved populations. Yet, unlike at most hospitals and health systems, there is no reimbursement code that FQHCs, rural health clinics (RHCs) or community health centers (CHCs) can use to pay for these services. These facilities – which are dedicated to some of the populations most impacted by hypertension – rely on grants to support RPM programs. And when pilot programs serving a small slice of patients show promising results, they seek out additional grants or other funding mechanisms to scale and make an RPM program sustainable for all who can benefit from it. Given the impact that RPM can have in addressing chronic conditions like hypertension, there is a distinct need for more funding to ensure all people have access to proven, digital health interventions. Regulations must be revamped so FQHCs, RHCs and CHCs are able to bill for RPM, much like other hospitals and health centers. Doing so will provide an effective way to ensure that those with hypertension receive the care they need, reducing the costs and health complications that result when left untreated or poorly managed.