European Commission clears Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis to reduce the risk of CV morbidity

Independent German drug major Boehringer Ingelheim says that the European Commission has approved Micardis (telmisartan) for the reduction of cardiovascular morbidity in patients with:  manifest atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease (history of coronary heart disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease) or type 2 diabetes mellitus with documented target organ damage.

According to the company, Micardis is the first treatment in its class to be approved for this indication. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) approval is the second major milestone for the drug in cardiovascular protection. It follows the approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for the reduction of the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from CV causes in patients 55 years of age or older at high risk of developing major CV events who are unable to take ACE inhibitors.

Giuseppe Mancia, Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Medicine of the University of Milan, Bicocca, Italy said: 'This new indication of telmisartan is a significant development for physicians and their at-risk patients. Prevention of CV events is vital as these are the primary causes of pathological death in Europe, due to lack of proper control of treatable risk factors and disease. The approval of telmisartan offers patients a well-tolerated treatment option which also provides CV protection.'