Injection every six months can lead to a meaningful, sustained reduction in blood pressure, according to the results from the KARDIA-2 clinical trial from Queen Mary University if London
663 people with high blood pressure whose condition wasn’t being well managed were involved in the study and given an injection of a new medication zilebesiran, alongside their standard blood pressure treatments. Researchers found that giving patients zilebesiran, an investigational therapeutic that uses RNA interference technology, alongside their standard medication was better at reducing their blood pressure levels than standard medication alone
Dr Manish Saxena, Clinical Co-Director of the William Harvey Clinical Research Centre at Queen Mary University of London and a hypertension specialist at Barts Health NHS Trust, lead investigator for the study in the UK and senior author on the new publication, said:
"Hypertension is a global health concern as blood pressure control rates remain poor and is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of zilebesiran, when added to commonly used first line blood pressure lowering drugs. The novelty of this treatment is its long duration; giving just one injection every six months could help millions of patients to better manage their condition.”
The results have been published in JAMA and are available to read: Add-On Treatment With Zilebesiran for Inadequately Controlled Hypertension: The KARDIA-2 Randomized Clinical Trial | Hypertension | JAMA | JAMA Network
More information on the results can be read on Queen Mary University of London’s news site: New injection could help millions with high blood pressure - Queen Mary University of London
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