GSK India launches 'Carzec' for hypertension

MUMBAI: GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited has entered the cardiovascular segment in India with Carvedilol, a beta-blocker for the management of hypertension under the brand name 'Carzec'.

GSK markets this drug in the US under the name Coreg, a brand worth over Rs 4000 crore, a press release here on Saturday said.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a serious issue in India and has steadily increased from 5 per cent) in the 1960s to around 15 per cent in the 1990s, the release said.

Carzec (Carvedilol) acts by reducing the workload on the heart, thus reducing blood pressure. In addition, it has anti-oxidant and cardioprotective properties and is glucose and lipid friendly, the release added.