Pharmacological profile and clinical use of moexipril

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are effective and safe antihypertensive drugs with the exception of the rare occurrence of angioedema. These drugs have demonstrated additional cardiovascular protective effects to their blood pressure lowering and their combination with the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide potentiates their antihypertensive effectiveness. Moexipril (Univasc, Bayer) is a long-acting ACE inhibitor suitable for once-daily administration and, like enalapril, is a prodrug and needs to be hydrolyzed in the liver into its active carboxylic metabolite, moexiprilat, in order to become effective. Moexipril alone and in combination with low-dose hydrochlorothiazide has been shown in clinical trials to be effective in lowering blood pressure and to be well-tolerated and safe given in single daily doses. In this review, the pharmacological profile of this drug and its clinical usefulness will be discussed.