High blood pressure can be treated with one injection twice a year, ending the need for daily pills for millions of Britons.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Barts Health NHS Trust should start trying Zilebesiran, a drug that prevents the production of a protein that constricts blood vessels.
About one in three adults in the UK suffers from high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, aneurysm and dementia.
Many people take daily pills as ACE inhibitors, with about 15 million prescriptions for NHS drugs each year.
The researchers hope to recruit around 630 patients worldwide for a three-year study, with 100 of them coming from across the UK and already enrolling their first patient.
If successful, it can drastically change the way high blood pressure is treated and help patients struggling to remember to take daily pills.
Dr Manish Saxena, head of research and deputy clinical director at Queen Mary University in London, said: “We are excited to try this first-of-its-kind approach to research if it is safe and effective in treating high blood pressure.”
High blood pressure costs billions of NHS
High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks and costs the NHS more than £ 2.1 billion each year.
Risk factors include being overweight, poor diet with excess salt and insufficient fruits and vegetables, as well as smoking and lack of exercise.
The new drug works by blocking messages that tell the liver to produce a protein called angiotensinogen (AGT), which helps regulate blood flow by constricting blood vessels to increase pressure.
An injectable drug to treat cholesterol has recently been tested and approved for use by the National Institutes of Health and NICE.
Professor Sir Niles Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This exciting trial could lead to good news for the millions of people in the UK with high blood pressure, many of whom need to take daily medicines to reduce their risk of heart attacks. and strokes.
“The study will determine if an injection twice a year lowers blood pressure enough for a long time.
“If this turns out to be the case, it may provide an alternative to daily pills for some patients.”
The study was funded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
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