perindopril (Coversyl arganine) 2.5mg 5mg 10mg tablets

Following an abbreviated submission

perindopril arginine (Coversyl Arginine) 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg tablets are accepted for use in NHS Scotland for the treatment of essential hypertension. The 2.5mg and 5mg tablets are also accepted for treatment of symptomatic heart failure. This advice relates to patients for whom perindopril is an appropriate choice of therapy.

These preparations are also licensed for the reduction of risk of cardiac events in patients with a history of myocardial infarction and/or revascularisation, however this indication has not been reviewed by SMC.

The arginine salt replaces a tert-butylamine salt previously available and the 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg arginine tablets are equivalent to the 2mg, 4mg and 8mg tert-butylamine tablets in terms of the content of perindopril base. Caution is therefore required when prescribing perindopril as the two salts are not dose equivalent. Generic preparations of the tert-butylamine salt are available at a lower cost than the proprietary preparations of perindopril.