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What is Lercanidipine
Lercanidipine is an oral calcium-channel blocker. Lercanidipine is a lipophilic dihydropyridine with vascular selectivity and a prolonged duration of action (24 hours), allowing for once daily dosing.
Lercanidipine has been evaluated for use in patients with hypertension, including older hypertensives and patients with isolated systolic hypertension or coexisting diabetes mellitus.
It has also been studied in patients with stable angina pectoris.
Lercanidipine is a potent peripheral vasodilator, similar to nifedipine and other members of the dihydropyridine class. Chronic use of lercanidipine has not been associated with significant increases in heart rate or sympathetic stimulation.
In addition, lercanidipine appears to be associated with a lower frequency of peripheral edema.
Lercanidipine has been proposed to result in balanced pre- and post-capillary vasodilation, which is theorized to decrease the risk of vasodilatory peripheral edema relative to other dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blockers.
In a comparative study (COHORT) in elderly hypertensives, lercanidipine 10 mg/day has been reported to have a significantly lower incidence of vasodilatory edema (9%) and discontinuation rate due to edema (2.1%) versus amlodipine 5 mg/day (19% and 8.5%, respectively).
The FDA issued an approvable letter for the use of lercanidipine in the treatment of hypertension on August 7, 2002; further information was requested by the FDA. Final FDA approval is pending.
Indications
- angina
- hypertension
For the treatment of hypertension† or chronic stable angina
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- asthenia
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- edema
- fatigue
- flushing
- headache
- hypotension
- nausea
- palpitations
- peripheral edema
- peripheral vasodilation
- syncope
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- acute myocardial infarction
- aortic stenosis
- bradycardia
- breast-feeding
- cardiogenic shock
- children
- coronary artery disease
- dihydropyridine hypersensitivity
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- geriatric
- heart failure
- hepatic disease
- hiatal hernia
- hypotension
- pregnancy
- renal disease
- renal failure
- renal impairment
- ventricular dysfunction
Interactions
No information is available regarding drug interactions associated with Lercanidipine
