1.1 Hypertension

PRINIVIL is indicated for the treatment of hypertension in adult patients and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes.

Control of high blood pressure should be part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management, including, as appropriate, lipid control, diabetes management, antithrombotic therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, and limited sodium intake. Many patients will require more than 1 drug to achieve blood pressure goals. For specific advice on goals and management, see published guidelines, such as those of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program's Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, eva luation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC).

Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that it is blood pressure reduction, and not some other pharmacologic property of the drugs, that is largely responsible for those benefits. The largest and most consistent cardiovascular outcome benefit has been a reduction in the risk of stroke, but reductions in myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality also have been seen regularly.

Elevated systolic or diastolic pressure causes increased cardiovascular risk, and the absolute risk increase per mmHg is greater at higher blood pressures, so that even modest reductions of severe hypertension can provide substantial benefit. Relative risk reduction from blood pressure reduction is similar across populations with varying absolute risk, so the absolute benefit is greater in patients who are at higher risk independent of their hypertension (for example, patients with diabetes or hyperlipidemia), and such patients would be expected to benefit from more aggressive treatment to a lower blood pressure goal.

Some antihypertensive drugs have smaller blood pressure effects (as monotherapy) in black patients, and many antihypertensive drugs have additional approved indications and effects (e.g., on angina, heart failure, or diabetic kidney disease). These considerations may guide selection of therapy.

PRINIVIL may be administered alone or with other antihypertensive agents [see Clinical Studies (14.1)].

1.2 Heart Failure

PRINIVIL is indicated to reduce signs and symptoms of heart failure in patients who are not responding adequately to diuretics and digitalis [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].

1.3 Acute Myocardial Infarction

PRINIVIL is indicated for the reduction of mortality in treatment of hemodynamically stable patients within 24 hours of acute myocardial infarction. Patients should receive, as appropriate, the standard recommended treatments such as thrombolytics, aspirin and beta-blockers [see Clinical Studies (14.3)].

2.1 Hypertension

Initial therapy in adults: The recommended initial dose is 10 mg once a day. Adjust dosage according to blood pressure response. The usual dosage range is 20 to 40 mg per day administered in a single daily dose. Doses up to 80 mg have been used but do not appear to give a greater effect.

2.2 Heart Failure

The recommended starting dose for PRINIVIL, when used with diuretics and (usually) digitalis as adjunctive therapy is 5 mg once daily. The recommended starting dose in these patients with hyponatremia (serum sodium <130 mEq/L) is 2.5 mg once daily. Increase as tolerated to a maximum of 40 mg once daily.

Diuretic dose may need to be adjusted to help minimize hypovolemia, which may contribute to hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4), and Drug Interactions (7.1)]. The appearance of hypotension after the initial dose of PRINIVIL does not preclude subsequent careful dose titration with the drug, following effective management of the hypotension.

2.3 Acute Myocardial Infarction

In hemodynamically stable patients within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction, give PRINIVIL 5 mg orally, followed by 5 mg after 24 hours, 10 mg after 48 hours and then 10 mg once daily. Dosing should continue for at least 6 weeks.

Initiate therapy with 2.5 mg in patients with a low systolic blood pressure (100-120 mmHg) during the first 3 days after the infarct [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)]. If hypotension occurs (systolic blood pressure ≤100 mmHg) consider doses of 2.5 or 5 mg. If prolonged hypotension occurs (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg for more than 1 hour) discontinue PRINIVIL.

2.4 Dose in Patients with Renal Impairment

No dose adjustment of PRINIVIL is required in patients with creatinine clearance >30 mL/min. In patients with creatinine clearance 10-30 mL/min, reduce the initial dose of PRINIVIL to half of the usual recommended dose (i.e., hypertension, 5 mg; heart failure or acute MI, 2.5 mg). For patients on hemodialysis or creatinine clearance <10 mL/min, the recommended initial dose is 2.5 mg once daily [see Use in Specific Populations (8.7) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

2.5 Preparation of Suspension
To make 200 mL of a suspension at 1.0 mg/mL, add 10 mL of Purified Water USP to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle containing ten 20-mg tablets of PRINIVIL and shake for at least one minute. Add 30 mL of Sodium Citrate and Citric Acid Oral Solution or Cytra-2 diluent and 160 mL of Ora-Sweet SF™ to the concentrate in the PET bottle and gently shake for several seconds to disperse the ingredients. The suspension should be stored at or below 25°C (77°F) and can be stored for up to four weeks. Shake the suspension before each use.

5.1 Fetal Toxicity

5.2 Angioedema and Anaphylactoid Reactions

5.3 Impaired Renal Function

Monitor renal function periodically in patients treated with PRINIVIL. Changes in renal function including acute renal failure can be caused by drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system. Patients whose renal function may depend in part on the activity of the renin-angiotensin system (e.g., patients with renal artery stenosis, chronic kidney disease, severe congestive heart failure, post-myocardial infarction or volume depletion) may be at particular risk of developing acute renal failure on PRINIVIL. Consider withholding or discontinuing therapy in patients who develop a clinically significant decrease in renal function on PRINIVIL [see Adverse Reactions (6.1), Drug Interactions (7.4)].

5.4 Hypotension

PRINIVIL can cause symptomatic hypotension, sometimes complicated by oliguria, progressive azotemia, acute renal failure or death. Patients at risk of excessive hypotension include those with the following conditions or characteristics: heart failure with systolic blood pressure below 100 mmHg, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hyponatremia, high dose diuretic therapy, renal dialysis, or severe volume and/or salt depletion of any etiology.

In these patients, start PRINIVIL under medical supervision and follow such patients for the first two weeks of treatment and whenever the dose of PRINIVIL and/or diuretic is increased. Avoid use of PRINIVIL in patients who are hemodynamically unstable after acute MI.

Symptomatic hypotension is also possible in patients with severe aortic stenosis or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

5.5 Hyperkalemia

Monitor serum potassium periodically in patients receiving PRINIVIL. Drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system can cause hyperkalemia. Risk factors for the development of hyperkalemia include renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, and the concomitant use of potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements and/or potassium-containing salt substitutes [see Drug Interactions (7.1)].

5.6 Hepatic Failure

ACE inhibitors have been associated with a syndrome that starts with cholestatic jaundice or hepatitis and progresses to fulminant hepatic necrosis and sometimes death. The mechanism of this syndrome is not understood. Patients receiving ACE inhibitors who develop jaundice or marked elevations of hepatic enzymes should discontinue the ACE inhibitor and receive appropriate medical treatment.

6.1 Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

6.2 Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of lisinopril that are not included in other sections of labeling. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Other reactions include:

Metabolism and nutrition disorders

Hyponatremia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)], cases of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients on oral antidiabetic agents or insulin [see Drug Interactions (7.2)]

Nervous system and psychiatric disorders

Mood alterations (including depressive symptoms), mental confusion

7.1 Diuretics

Initiation of PRINIVIL in patients on diuretics may result in excessive reduction of blood pressure. The possibility of hypotensive effects with PRINIVIL can be minimized by either decreasing or discontinuing the diuretic or increasing the salt intake prior to initiation of treatment with PRINIVIL. If this is not possible, reduce the starting dose of PRINIVIL [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) and Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].

PRINIVIL attenuates potassium loss caused by thiazide-type diuretics. Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone, amiloride, triamterene, and others) can increase the risk of hyperkalemia. Therefore, if concomitant use of such agents is indicated, monitor the patient's serum potassium frequently.