Swiss drugmaker Novartis has received approval from the European Union for a single-pill treatment for high blood pressure.

Novartis said EU authorities had approved Rasilamlo, a combination of aliskiren and amlodipine. About a billion people globally have high blood pressure, said Novartis, which also makes high blood pressure drug Diovan.

"Research has shown that patients receiving two blood pressure medications in a single-pill combination are more likely to adhere to treatment than those receiving two single medications in combination," Gordon McInnes, professor of clinical pharmacology at University of Glasgow was quoted as saying by Novartis.

Novartis said Rasilamlo aimed to lower blood pressure in two ways: the Rasilez component targets the activity of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), an important regulator of blood pressure. Rasilez directly binds to and inhibits renin, an enzyme produced by the kidneys that starts a process that can make blood vessels narrow and lead to high blood pressure.

Meanwhile, the calcium channel blocker amlodipine lowers blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessel walls through the inhibition of calcium. Both of these medicines enable blood to flow more easily therefore lowering blood pressure.

Reuters