Briefing Note - aliskiren (Rasilez)_resub

SMC did not accept aliskiren for the treatment of essential hypertension.

• Essential hypertension is high blood pressure for which there is no specific cause. High blood pressure should not be allowed to continue for a long time because it can damage the blood vessels of the brain, heart and kidneys, and may result in a stroke, heart failure, heart attack or kidney failure. Lowering the blood pressure to a normal level reduces the risk of developing these disorders.
• Aliskiren belongs to a new class of drugs called renin inhibitors. These reduce the amount of angiotensin II (a substance produced by the body which increases blood pressure by constricting blood vessels), relaxing the blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
• Studies have shown that aliskiren is as effective as other treatments used to lower blood pressure. Its long-term effects are not yet known.
• In studies, side effects included diarrhoea, cough, peripheral oedema (swelling), fatigue, rash, and influenza. Cough and peripheral oedema were less common in patients given aliskiren than in patients given some other treatments.
• SMC did not accept aliskiren for use within NHSScotland because the economic case submitted by the manufacturer did not show that it would be value for money and the clinical data were not robust.