Dr Reddy's Laboratories hasannounced that Optidoz - a drug for the treatment of Essential Hypertension has been approved and will be made available in the Indian Pharmaceutical market.

Optidoz is a single pill combination of three anti-hypertensive drugs (Amlodipine 2.5 mg, Telmisartan 20 mg and Hydrochlorothiazide 6.25 mg) with optimal dose of individual drugs. The drug is priced at Rs 8 per tablet and Rs 80 for a strip of 10.

Efficacy and safety of Optidoz has been established through the CONTROL-Hypertension clinical study, approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The study was conducted between November 2010 and June 2011 as per the Good Clinical Practices (GCP) in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.

The study demonstrated that Optidoz controls hypertension faster and more effectively with much lesser incidence of adverse events as compared to standard dose double drug combination.

Optidoz will also simplify the traditional, complicated step-care treatment approach for hypertension management. The prolonged blood pressure control with minimal adverse effects is expected to improve efficacy response in normalizing the blood pressure due to good tolerability with Optidoz and enhanced compliance in patients.

Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease in India. Approximately 32 percent of the adult Indian population suffers from high blood pressure. Over the last six decades, the prevalence has increased twelve-fold in urban areas and seven-fold in rural areas.

Optidoz is an attempt from Dr Reddy's to alleviate hypertension related disease burden in India.