Efficacy and Safety of LCZ696 Compared to Placebo in Patients With Essential Hypertension

A Multi-center, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group, Dose-ranging Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of LCZ696 Compared to Placebo After 8 Weeks Treatment in Patients With Essential Hypertension

This study is a phase 2 study in patients with essential hypertension.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must give written informed consent before any assessment is performed.
2. Patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension, untreated or currently taking antihypertensive therapy (mean sitting diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95 mmHg and < 110 mmHg, and mean sitting systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and < 180 mmHg).
3. Patients must be willing and able to undergo ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for a 24-hr period at the beginning and the end of the 8-week treatment.
4. Patient must be able to communicate and comply with all study requirements and demonstrate good medication compliance.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with severe hypertension.
2. Patients with history of angioedema, drug-related or otherwise
3. Pregnant or nursing women
4. Women of child-bearing potential , who do not use adequate birth control methods
5. History or evidence of a secondary form of hypertension.
6. History of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery, ischemic heart disease, surgical or percutaneous arterial intervention of any kind, stroke, TIA, carotid artery stenosis, aortic aneurysm, or peripheral arterial disease.
7. Diabetes mellitus.
8. Previous or current diagnosis of heart failure (NYHA Class II-IV).
9. Clinically significant valvular heart disease at the time of screening.

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply