Efficacy and safety of the selective 11β-HSD-1 inhibitors MK-0736 and MK-0916 in overweight and obese patients with hypertension

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) may be involved in several abnormalities associated with the metabolic syndrome. This study evaluated the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of two 11β-HSD1 inhibitors, MK-0736 and MK-0916, in overweight-to-obese hypertensive patients. Patients aged 18–75 years with sitting diastolic blood pressure (SiDBP) 90–104 mm Hg, systolic BP <160 mm Hg (after washout of prior antihypertensive medications), and BMI ≥27 to <41 kg/m2 were randomized to receive 2 or 7 mg/d MK-0736, 6 mg/d MK-0916, or placebo for 12 weeks (n = 51–54/group). Patients with BMI ≥20 to <27 kg/m2 received 6 mg/d MK-0916 or placebo for 24 weeks (n = 19/group). The primary endpoint was placebo-adjusted change from baseline in trough SiDBP in patients treated for 12 weeks with 7 mg/d MK-0736. The primary endpoint was not met (placebo-adjusted reduction = 2.2 mm Hg; P = .157). With 7 mg/d MK-0736, placebo-adjusted LDL-C decreased by 12.3%, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 6.3%, and body weight by 1.4 kg. Both 11β-HSD1 inhibitors were generally well tolerated. In overweight-to-obese patients with hypertension, reduction in SiDBP with MK-0736 was not statistically significant. Nonetheless, MK-0736 was well tolerated and did appear to modestly improve other BP endpoints, LDL-C, and body weight.