Blood Pressure Medication Micardis May Pose Cancer Risk

Chicago, IL: A new study published in the journal Lancet Oncology, is reporting the potential for increased risk for cancer associated with the use of the blood pressure medication Micardis (telmisartan), an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) made by Boehringer Ingelheim.

According to a report on Reuters.com, Dr. Ilke Sipahi and colleagues from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and colleagues wrote in the journal Lancet Oncology, "The increased risk of new cancer occurrence is modest but significant."

The analysis done on available data on drugs in that class, showed that patients taking the ARBs were 1.2 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a new cancer over four years, compared with people not on the drugs. However, there were not enough data to show if this is a class effect.

Dr. Steven Nissen, who became famous when he published results on the determental effects of GalsxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia, told Reuters that the findings were "disturbing and provocative, raising crucial drug safety questions for practitioners and the regulatory community."

In 2003, a study done in patients with heart failure who were taking AstraZeneca's ARB Atacand, or candesartan, had a significantly increased risk of fatal cancer, compared with those on placebo.

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Last updated on Feb-19-19