A 10-12 Week Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of 320 mg Valsartan and 80 mg Simvastatin in Combination and as Monotherapies in Treating Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia

A 10-12 Week Multicenter, Double-blind Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Combination of Valsartan (320 mg) and Simvastatin (80 mg) Compared to Valsartan (320 mg) and Simvastatin (80 mg) Monotherapies in Essential Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia

This 10-12 week study will provide data on the safety and efficacy of using 320 valsartan and 80 mg simvastatin together compared to using either one alone in lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. After discontinuing current drug therapies for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, patients will be given 320mg valsartan+80mg simvastatin, 320mg valsartan+placebo, or 80mg simvastatin+placebo..

Inclusion Criteria:

• ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION
• ELEVATED LDL-C CHOLESTEROL
• USING STABLE DOSE OF HMG CoA REDUCTASE INHIBITOR (STATIN) FOR 3+ MONTHS

Exclusion Criteria:

• SEVERE HYPERTENSION
• EVIDENCE OF HISTORY OR CURRENT HEART DISEASE
• HISTORY OF STROKE OR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
• DISLIPIDEMIA OR HYPERTENSION DUE TO SECONDARY CAUSES
• UNCONTROLLED DIABETES OR INSULIN

Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.