Jun 10, 2021

Novartis today announced that Entresto® (sacubitril/valsartan) has received a new indication in China for the treatment of patients with essential hypertension, a disease affecting approximately 245 million adults in the country1. This National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) decision follows the 2017 approval of Entresto for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). 

  • The prevalence of hypertension in China is expected to rise to approximately 300 million2 by 2025 with control rates generally lower than in other parts of the world (15% vs approximately 52% in the US)1,3
  • This new indication makes Entresto the first new therapy for hypertension in China in over ten years. Entresto was also approved for the treatment of hypertension in Russia in February 2021. 
  • Hypertension can damage the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and other organs4 and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events, as well as a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Asia and across the world accounting for approximately 1.8 million deaths annually in China alone5
  1. Wang, Z et al. Status of Hypertension in China. Results From the China Hypertension Survey, 2012–2015. Circulation. 2018;137:2344–2356. Available at: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.032380
  2. Jin C-N, et al. The healthcare burden of hypertension in Asia. Heart Asia. 2013;5:238-243. Available at https://heartasia.bmj.com/content/heartasia/5/1/238.full.pdf
  3. Long-term and recent trends in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in 12 high-income countries: an analysis of 123 nationally representative surveys. NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. Lancet 2019; 394: 639–51. Available at https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2819%2931145-6
  4. Mayo Clinic. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension’s effects on your body. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868#:~:text=High%20blood%20pressure%20forces%20your,Heart%20failure
  5. Global Burden of Hypertension and Systolic Blood Pressure of at Least 110 to 115 mm Hg, 1990-2015. JAMA. 2017;317(2):165-182. Available at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2596292

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