A vaccine for high blood pressure

For all the success of medication against high blood pressure, only about one-third of patients in the USA successfully control their blood pressure using medication. This is not simply because they are not being diagnosed and treated; those who are on treatment often do not take their medication correctly – the treatment has side-effects and people don't feel sick with hypertension.

The idea behind a vaccination is that active immunisation to induce antibodies against angiotensin – known to raise blood pressure through the renin-angiotensin system – could simplify treatment. This study,published in The Lancet by Alain Tissot and colleagues, investigated the safety and efficacy of CYT006-AngQb – a vaccine-based virus-like particle – that targets antiotensin type II to reduce blood pressure. The trial took place in a number of centres, enrolling 72 patients with mild to moderate hypertension, who were randomised to received either subcutaneous injections of either 100 µg or 300 µg CYT006-AngQb or placebo. As far as safety was concerned, no serious adverse events that were treatment related were reported. The 300 µg dose of CYT006-AngQb reduced blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension during the daytime, particularly in the early morning.