A new chronotherapeutic oral drug absorption system for verapamil optimizes blood pressure control in the morning.

A novel verapamil chronotherapeutic oral drug absorption system (CODAS-Verapamil) designed for bedtime dosing and with controlled onset and extended-release properties was evaluated in 257 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension in an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. After bedtime dosing (9 PM to 11 PM, this delivery system delays drug release for 4 to 5 h, and provides the highest concentrations of verapamil between 6 AM and noon. The study results showed that CODAS-verapamil produced its greatest antihypertensive effect during this morning period (6 AM to 12 noon) and also provided effective trough diastolic blood pressure reductions at 200, 300, and 400 mg. Significant trough systolic blood pressure reductions were achieved only with the 300- and 400-mg doses. The nighttime dosing regimen was not associated with excessive blood pressure (BP) reductions during the sleeping hours, when the antihypertensive effect was generally slightly less than that of the 24-h mean reduction. The CODAS-verapamil provides enhanced BP reduction during the morning period when compared with other time intervals of the 24-h dosing period.