BASEL, SWITZERLAND and BRIDGEWATER, NJ--(Marketwire - June 04, 2008) - Data from the AVOID study published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate that the first-in-class direct renin inhibitor Rasilez®1 (aliskiren), known as Tekturna®[1] in the US, may have potential kidney-protective benefits that are independent of its already proven ability to provide powerful blood pressure reductions[2],[4]. AVOID is the first substantial clinical trial to present data on potential kidney-protective benefits of Rasilez[1]. Damage to the kidneys caused by diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in developed countries, affecting more than 1.5 million people worldwide[2],[5].
