Assessment of Efficacy and Safety of Olmesartan Medoxomil in Children and Adolescent Patients With High Blood Pressure

This was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, prospective dose-ranging study in subjects 1 to 16 years of age with hypertension. Subjects were enrolled into 1 of 3 cohorts based on age and race. Subjects 6 to 16 years of age were enrolled into Cohort A. Subjects enrolled into Cohort A were stratified by age with approximately half aged 6 to 12 years and the remainder aged 13 to 16 years. Approximately 15% of the subjects in Cohort A were to be Black or of African descent. When a minimum of 28 Black subjects were randomized into Cohort A, enrollment in Cohort B was started. Black subjects only, 6 to 16 years of age, were enrolled into Cohort B. For Cohorts A and B body weight of any patient was \>=20Kg. Seated systolic blood pressure (SeSBP) was \>=95th percentile for gender and height-for-age, or \>=90th percentile if the patient is diabetic, or has glomerular kidney disease, or has a family history of hypertension. Patients with symptomatic hypertension requiring immediate established therapy, or who are above 2 standard deviations (SD) above the 99th percentile did not participate in the study. Subjects 1 to 5 years of age were enrolled into Cohort C regardless of race. Body weight of any patient was \>=5Kg. SeSBP was \>=95th percentile for gender and height-for-age, or \>=90th percentile if the patient is diabetic, or has glomerular kidney disease, or has a family history of hypertension. Patients on stable doses of concomitant antihypertensive agents including calcium channel blockers and/or diuretics only are permitted to enroll. Patients with symptomatic hypertension requiring immediate established therapy, or who are above 2 SD above the 99th percentile did not participate in the study. The study comprised four periods. Period I was a wash-out period from Week -1 to randomization. Subjects were randomized to treatment sequences carried through the remainder of the study. Period II was a three-week, double-blind, dose-ranging period for Cohorts A and B, beginning at Day 1 and ending at the end of Week 3. In Cohorts A and B, subjects received either low-dose or high-dose olmesartan (OM) once daily. In Cohort C, Period II was an open-label OM treatment period where all subjects received 0.3 mg/kg OM per day. Period III was a double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal period beginning at Week 4 and ending after 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the seated blood pressure measurement at each weekly study visit. Subjects either continued their Period II OM regimen or switched to placebo based on the initial randomization scheme. Period IV was a 46-week open-label extension period.