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Altace vs Norvasc

Ramipril  ·  Amlodipine

Two of the most prescribed blood-pressure medicines in the world, working on completely different parts of the circulation.

At a glance

AltaceRamipril
NorvascAmlodipine
Brand names
Altace
Norvasc / Istin
Drug class
ACE inhibitor
Calcium channel blocker
Route
Not listed
Oral
Marketed by
King Pharmaceuticals (Pfizer)
Viatris
First FDA approval
28 Jan 1991
31 Jul 1992
US shortage
Not listed
Not listed

Key differences

What each one treats

AltaceRamipril

An oral daily medication used to treat high blood pressure and reduce risk of heart attacks.

NorvascAmlodipine

NORVASC is a calcium channel blocker and may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive and antianginal agents for the treatment of: • Hypertension ( 1.1 ) o NORVASC is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. • Coronary Artery Disease ( 1.2 ) o Chronic Stable Angina o Vasospastic Angina (Prinzmetal’s or Variant Angina) o Angiographically Documented Coronary Artery Disease in patients without heart failure or an ejection fraction < 40% 1.1 Hypertension NORVASC ® is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trial…

How each one works

AltaceACE inhibitor

An oral daily medication used to treat high blood pressure and reduce risk of heart attacks.

NorvascCalcium channel blocker

12.1 Mechanism of Action Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist (calcium ion antagonist or slow‑channel blocker) that inhibits the transmembrane influx of calcium ions into vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. Experimental data suggest that amlodipine binds to both dihydropyridine and nondihydropyridine binding sites. The contractile processes of cardiac muscle and vascular smooth muscle are dependent upon the movement of extracellular calcium ions into these cells through specific ion channels. Amlodipine inhibits calcium ion influx across cell membranes selectively, with a greater effect on vascular smooth muscle cells than on cardiac muscle cells. Negative inotropic eff…

Related comparisons

Altace VS Cozaar Norvasc VS Cozaar

Read more

Altace profile Norvasc profile All comparisons
This is not medical advice, and not a recommendation of one drug over the other.

Which medicine is right for a given person depends on their diagnosis, other conditions, other medicines, kidney and liver function, pregnancy, and cost or reimbursement — none of which this page knows. Two drugs in the same class are not automatically interchangeable. Never start, stop or switch a prescription medicine on the basis of a web page; that decision belongs to you and your clinician or pharmacist.

Class and summary text is written by the Priya Life Science editorial team. Label, mechanism, route, manufacturer and approval data come from the U.S. FDA via the openFDA API; shortage status from the FDA Drug Shortage Database. Approvals, indications and brand names differ between the US, EU/Ireland (EMA/HPRA) and other regions — a drug approved in one may not be approved, or may carry a different name, in another.