Selection of initial and maintenance dosages for lacidipine, a new once-daily calcium antagonist for the treatment of hypertension

Abstract

Selection of the appropriate dose of a new drug for initiation of treatment and then for maintenance is a complicated task. It requires the careful assessment and weighing of benefit vs. risk. A series of studies was carried out with lacidipine to determine the optimal initial dose in a general hypertensive population as well as in special populations in whom the pharmacokinetics may be different. The conclusions of these studies are that (a) in a general adult population, the initial dose should be 4 mg once daily; (b) in the elderly and in those with impaired liver function, the starting dose should be 2 mg once daily; and (c) renal dysfunction does not alter the usual starting dose of 4 mg once daily.