As many as 30 percent of patients with hypertension fail to achieve their target blood pressure levels with treatment. An experimental drug called darusentan may help them hit their goals. The drug works by blocking the production of amino acids within the walls of the artery. When these amino acids are blocked, the arteries relax and blood pressure drops. Participants in a study for the drug experienced significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. 

This article originally appeared in the December 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.