Lodiben®, is a combination of Calcium Channel Blocker Amlodipine Besilate and ACE Inhibitor Benazepril Hydrochloride. Benazepril and benazeprilat (the active metabolite of Benazepril) inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE is a peptidyl dipeptidase that catalyzes the conversion of angiotensin I to the vasoconstrictor substance angiotensin II. Angiotensin II also stimulates aldosterone secretion by the adrenal cortex. Inhibition of ACE results in decreased plasma angiotensin II, which leads to decreased vasopressor activity and to decreased aldosterone secretion. Mechanism through which Benazepril lowers blood pressure is believed to be primarily suppression of the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system, Benazepril has an antihypertensive effect even in patients with low-renin hypertension.

Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist that inhibits the transmembrane influx of calcium ions into vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. It inhibits calcium ion influx across cell membranes selectively, with a greater effect on vascular smooth muscle cells than on cardiac muscle cells.Amlodipine is a peripheral arterial vasodilator that acts directly on vascular smooth muscle to cause a reduction in peripheral vascular resistance and reduction in blood pressure.

Usual dose is once daily. Amlodipine is an effective treatment of hypertension in once-daily doses of 2.5-10 mg while Benazepril is effective in doses of 10-80 mg.In clinical trials of Amlodipine/Benazepril combination therapy using Amlodipine doses of 2.5-10 mg and Benazepril doses of 10-40 mg, the antihypertensive effects increased with increasing dose of Amlodipine in all patient groups, and the effects increased with increasing dose of Benazepril in nonblack groups. All patient groups benefited from the reduction in Amlodipine-induced edema.Safety and effectiveness in paediatric patients have not been established

Diuretics: Diuretics: Patients on diuretics, especially those in whom diuretic therapy was recently instituted, may occasionally experience an excessive reduction of blood pressure after initiation of therapy with this combination. The possibility of hypotensive effects with the combination can be minimized by either discontinuing the diuretic or increasing the salt intake prior to initiation of treatment with the ombination.

Pregnancy Category D. ACE inhibitors can cause fetal and neonatal morbidity and death when administered to pregnant women. When pregnancy is detected, this combination should be discontinued as soon as possible and monitoring of the fetal development should be performed on a regular basis.

Minimal amounts of unchanged Benazepril and benazeprilat at are excreted into the breast milk of lactating women treated with Benazepril, so that a newborn child ingesting nothing but breast milk would receive less than 0.1% of the maternal doses of Benazepril and benazeprilat. It is not known whether Amlodipine is excreted in human milk. In the absence of this information, it isrecommended that nursing be discontinued while this medication is administered.

Lodiben® 2.5/10 capsules: Box containing 6 strips of 6 capsules each. Each capsule contains Amlodipine Besilate BP equivalent to Amlodipine 2.5 mg and Benazepril Hydrochloride USP 10 mg.