Safety and Efficacy of Aliskiren 300 mg, 150 mg and 75 mg in Patients With Essential Hypertension Compared to Ramipril 5 mg

An Eight Week, Double-blind, Randomized, Multicenter, Parallel Group, Active-controlled Study Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Aliskiren 300 mg, 150 mg and 75 mg to Ramipril 5 mg in Patients With Essential Hypertension

This study is designed to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of aliskiren 300 mg, 150 mg and 75 mg when compared to ramipril 5 mg in patients with essential hypertension.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have msDBP ≥ 90 mmHg and < 110 mmHg at the visit immediately prior to Visit 3
• Patients must have msDBP >OR= 95 mmHg and < 110 mmHg at Visit 3
• Patients must have an absolute difference of < or =10 mmHg in their mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (msDBP) from Visit 2 to Visit 3

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe hypertension (grade 3 WHO classification; msDBP >or= 110 mmHg and/or msSBP >or = 180 mmHg).
• History or evidence of a secondary form of hypertension.
• History of transient ischemic cerebral attack within 12 months of visit 1.
• Current angina pectoris requiring pharmacological therapy (other than those patients on a stable dose of oral or topical nitrates)
• Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) > 8% at Visit 1.
• Known or suspected contraindications to the study medications, including history of allergy to ramipril or other ACE Inhibitors.

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.