The US Food and Drug Administration this week approved an antihypertensive
medication that combines hydrochlorothiazide with valsartan, an angiotensin
receptor blocker (ARB), and amlodipine, a calcium-channel blocker (CCB) (Exforge
HCT, Novartis).

The approval isn't for first-line hypertensive therapy. Instead, the drug is
approved for patients who are unable to obtain adequate blood-pressure control
with dual therapy that includes CCBs, ARBs, and diuretics.

The FDA has already approved a combination of valsartan and amlodipine
(Exforge), from the same company, for the second-line treatment of hypertension
or for people who are likely to require multiple drugs to control their high
blood pressure.