Telmisartan: a review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Telmisartan belongs to the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonizing class of antihypertensives, which are widely recognized and increasingly prescribed because of their good tolerability. Moreover, due to the results of the ONTARGET trial program, telmisartan was the first AT1 receptor antagonist to receive approval for the prevention of cardiovascular events in cardiovascular high risk patients, thereby, indicating that its clinical importance will further increase. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: This article reviews the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of telmisartan with a special focus on novel pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: An overview of the published data regarding the pharmacokinetic properties of telmisartan as well as a summary of the results from selected small exploratory and large clinical outcome trials involving telmisartan. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Telmisartan is a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of hypertension. Moreover, due to its good tolerability, an increasing use of telmisartan in cardiovascular high risk patients can be anticipated. This will grant further experimental and clinical research on AT1 receptor-independent pharmacodynamics of telmisartan as well as on telmisartan-related drug safety issues.