Nebivolol: new therapy update.

Nebivolol is a beta-blocker under U.S. Food and Drug Administration review for the treatment of hypertension. The unique pharmacologic properties of nebivolol include high specificity for the beta-1 receptor and a nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatory effect. The agent provides significant blood pressure reduction from baseline values as compared with placebo. Clinical trials have demonstrated that nebivolol reduces blood pressure similarly to atenolol, bisoprolol, amlodipine, nifedipine, lisinopril, and hydrochlorothiazide. The tolerability of nebivolol is similar to or better than that of these agents. In elderly patients (> or = 70 years of age) with clinically stable congestive heart failure, the addition of nebivolol to the treatment regimen improved the time to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular hospital admissions over that of placebo. If approved, nebivolol would likely be a viable alternative therapy for hypertension and heart failure; however, additional studies are needed in patients having coronary artery disease.