US researchers find increased risk of cancer with commonly-used antihypertensive drugs, notably telmisartan, but Boehringer defends its Micardis

A meta-analysis, published today in The Lancet Oncology by Ilki Sipahi from The University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland and colleagues, raises drug safety questions for practitioners and the regulatory community about the use of popular antihypertensive drugs. Are angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) associated with increased risk of incident malignancies? Should we be concerned about all ARBs or a single drug, telmisartan? the authors ask.

However, the researchers noted that "it is not possible to draw conclusions about the exact risk of cancer associated with each particular drug."

In an accompanying editorial, Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic (who has also been behind much of the criticism of GlaxoSmithKline's asthma drug Avandia [rosiglitazone], The Pharma Letters passim), called the results "disturbing and provocative," and said that regulators should call on drugmakers to submit raw data from studies of the drugs to help answer whether or not they are safe.