| Item |
Information |
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Drug Groups
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approved; investigational |
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Description
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Telmisartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARB) used in the management of hypertension. Generally, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) such as telmisartan bind to the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptors with high affinity, causing inhibition of the action of angiotensin II on vascular smooth muscle, ultimately leading to a reduction in arterial blood pressure. Recent studies suggest that telmisartan may also have PPAR-gamma agonistic properties that could potentially confer beneficial metabolic effects. |
| Indication |
Used alone or in combination with other classes of antihypertensives for the treatment of hypertension. Also used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as the treatment of congestive heart failure (only in patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors). |
| Pharmacology |
Telmisartan is an orally active nonpeptide angiotensin II antagonist that acts on the AT1 receptor subtype. It has the highest affinity for the AT1 receptor among commercially available ARBS and has minimal affinity for the AT2 receptor. New studies suggest that telmisartan may also have PPARγ agonistic properties that could potentially confer beneficial metabolic effects, as PPARγ is a nuclear receptor that regulates specific gene transcription, and whose target genes are involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as anti-inflammatory responses. This observation is currently being explored in clinical trials. Angiotensin II is formed from angiotensin I in a reaction catalyzed by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, kininase II). Angiotensin II is the principal pressor agent of the renin-angiotensin system, with effects that include vasoconstriction, stimulation of synthesis and release of aldosterone, cardiac stimulation, and renal reabsorption of sodium. Telmisartan works by blocking the vasoconstrictor and aldosterone secretory effects of angiotensin II. |
| Toxicity |
Intravenous LD50 in rats is 150-200 mg/kg in males and 200 to 250 mg/kg in females. Acute oral toxicity is low: no deaths and no changes occurred in rats or dogs at 2000 mg/kg, the highest dose tested. Limited data are available with regard to overdosage in humans. The most likely manifestations of overdosage with telmisartan would be hypotension, dizziness and tachycardia; bradycardia could occur from parasympathetic (vagal) stimulation. |
| Affected Organisms |
| • |
Humans and other mammals |
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| Biotransformation |
Minimally metabolized by conjugation to form a pharmacologically inactive acylglucuronide; the glucuronide of the parent compound is the only metabolite that has been identified in human plasma and urine. The cytochrome P450 isoenzymes are not involved in the metabolism of telmisartan. |
| Absorption |
Absolute bioavailability depends on dosage. Food slightly decreases the bioavailability (a decrease of about 6% is seen when the 40-mg dose is administered with food). |
| Half Life |
Bi-exponential decay kinetics with a terminal elimination half-life of approximately 24 hours. |
| Protein Binding |
Highly bound to plasma proteins (>99.5%), mainly albumin and a1-acid glycoprotein. Binding is not dose-dependent. |
| Elimination |
Following either intravenous or oral administration of 14C-labeled telmisartan, most of the administered dose (>97%) was eliminated unchanged in feces via biliary excretion; only minute amounts were found in the urine (0.91% and 0.49% of total radioactivity, respectively). |
| Distribution |
* 500 L |
| Clearance |
* >800 mL/min |
| References |
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Sharpe M, Jarvis B, Goa KL: Telmisartan: a review of its use in hypertension. Drugs. 2001;61(10):1501-29.
[Pubmed]
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Smith DH: Treatment of hypertension with an angiotensin II-receptor antagonist compared with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor: a review of clinical studies of telmisartan and enalapril. Clin Ther. 2002 Oct;24(10):1484-501.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Kumar AS, Ghosh S, Mehta GN: Efficient and improved synthesis of Telmisartan. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2010 Mar 11;6:25.
[Pubmed]
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Galzerano D, Capogrosso C, Di Michele S, Galzerano A, Paparello P, Lama D, Gaudio C: New standards in hypertension and cardiovascular risk management: focus on telmisartan. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2010 Mar 24;6:113-33.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Kumar AS, Ghosh S, Mehta GN: Efficient and improved synthesis of Telmisartan. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2010 Mar 11;6:25.
[Pubmed]
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| External Links |
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