Availability of Losartan and Amlodipine Combination Pill in the US
No, losartan and amlodipine are not available as a fixed-dose combination pill in the United States. 1
Available Combination Pills with These Drug Classes
While losartan-amlodipine is not available as a combination, other ARB-CCB combinations are FDA-approved in the US:
Common Fixed-Dose Combinations Available in the US
ARBs are commonly combined with diuretics rather than calcium channel blockers in the US market:
- Losartan-hydrochlorothiazide (50/12.5,100/25 mg) 1
- Olmesartan-hydrochlorothiazide (20/12.5,40/12.5,40/25 mg) 7
- Valsartan-hydrochlorothiazide (80/12.5,160/12.5,160/25 mg) 1
Pharmacological Considerations
- Although losartan and amlodipine can be taken together as separate pills, they are not available as a single combination pill in the US 8
- When administered together, amlodipine can decrease the exposure of losartan at steady state (AUCτ decreased by approximately 12.5%) 8
- The combination use of these two drugs causes additive hemodynamic effects compared to monotherapy with either agent 8
Prescription Patterns in the US
- Losartan and amlodipine are both among the most commonly prescribed antihypertensives in the US (ranked #4 and #2 respectively in 2017) 1
- Despite their popularity as individual medications, pharmaceutical companies have not developed an FDA-approved fixed-dose combination of these specific agents 1
Clinical Implications
- For patients who would benefit from both medications, they must be prescribed as separate pills 8
- Combination therapy with agents from complementary classes (such as ARBs and CCBs) is recommended for patients with stage 2 hypertension or those at high cardiovascular risk 1, 4
- Fixed-dose combinations can improve medication adherence compared to taking multiple separate pills 1