Telmisartan

Researchers found that the common blood pressure drug telmisartan can significantly improve the performance of the cancer drug olaparib, potentially expanding its benefits beyond patients with BRCA-related tumors. The combination is already being tested in human clinical trials after showing strong immune-boosting and anticancer effects in preclinical studies.A medication that has long been used to treat high blood pressure could also help make an important class of cancer drugs much more effective, according to new research from Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC). The study found that the FDA approved drug telmisartan significantly boosted the cancer killing activity of the targeted therapy olaparib, raising the possibility that more patients could benefit from the treatment. The findings were published in The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. "This study shows that a common, safe, tolerable, convenient, and inexpensive drug may significantly improve how well an important class of cancer therapies works," said Tyler J. Curiel, MD, MPH, FACP, the study's senior and lead author. Making PARP Inhibitors Work for More Patients Olaparib belongs to a group of targeted cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors. These medicines work by taking advantage of defects in the way certain cancer cells repair damaged DNA. They are especially effective against tumors with problems in homologous recombination DNA damage repair, including cancers linked to BRCA gene mutations. Many cancers, however, do not have those DNA repair defects, which means PARP inhibitors are not effective for a large number of patients. Even when the drugs initially work, tumors often become resistant over time. The Dartmouth team found that telmisartan can make tumors more sensitive to PARP inhibitors, even if they do not have the DNA repair weaknesses that these drugs typically rely on. Stronger Immune Response Against Tumors In preclinical experiments, combining telmisartan with olaparib increased DNA damage inside cancer cells while also activating important immune defenses. The treatment combination boosted production of type I interferons, signaling molecules that help the immune system identify and attack cancer. "This immune activation appears to be a key reason the combination works so well," Curiel said. A Unique Effect Among Blood Pressure Medications Telmisartan is part of the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) family of drugs, which are widely prescribed to treat hypertension. Researchers compared telmisartan with other ARBs and found that its cancer enhancing effects were unique within the class. The drug also lowered levels of PD-L1 inside tumor cells. PD-L1 is a protein that many cancers use to avoid detection by the immune system, making this additional effect another potential advantage. "Telmisartan has several distinct anticancer effects that, together with targeted therapy, could make tumors more responsive to distinct types of treatments," Curiel said. "We showed the improved efficacy with PARP inhibitors in this study, but we also have good data showing that telmisartan improves efficacy of distinct chemotherapy classes and immunotherapies in many other cancer types through related mechanisms." Early Clinical Trials Are Already Underway Because telmisartan is taken by mouth, has an established safety record, and is well tolerated even by people without hypertension, researchers believe it is well suited for rapid testing in cancer patients. Curiel and colleagues at DCC have already launched two clinical trials to evaluate the combination. One study is testing telmisartan with olaparib in men with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer. According to Curiel, the first participant experienced an exceptional response to treatment. A second trial recently enrolled its first patient with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. "We are encouraged by what we are seeing so far," Curiel said. "Our goal is to determine whether this combination approach can help more patients benefit from greater effectiveness of PARP inhibitors and other cancer treatment classes and potentially overcome resistance to these drugs." Support from the Guyre fund and Gmelich fund at DCC played a key role in completing the research and launching the clinical trials.

Brendan Walsh brings more than 20 years of operational leadership to support George Medicines’ global commercial expansion of GMRx2 London, UK, Boston, MA, 29 June 2026 – George Medicines, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing significant unmet needs in cardiometabolic disease, today announces the appointment of Brendan Walsh as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain & Technical Operations, effective immediately. Brendan joins George Medicines with more than 20 years of leadership experience across global pharmaceutical supply chain, CMC, technical operations and outsourced manufacturing. His expertise spans a broad range of dose forms and pipeline development programs across diverse therapeutic areas. He has a proven track record of building high‑performing supply organizations, establishing virtual manufacturing networks and delivering complex, high‑profile product launches across Europe and international markets. Brendan most recently served as European Supply Chain & Technical Director at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd., where he led regional supply chain and technical operations for the company’s commercial portfolio and pipeline assets. His responsibilities included end‑to‑end supply chain management, CMO selection and oversight, technology transfer and establishing supply chains for new product introductions. Prior to Otsuka, Brendan held senior leadership roles at Tanabe Pharma Europe, including General Manager / Head of Supply Chain, EMEA, where he established the company’s EMEA supply chain department and virtual manufacturing infrastructure. Earlier in his career, Brendan held technical and operational roles at GSK and Rhodia, spanning new product introduction, technology transfer and R&D. Mark Mallon, Chief Executive Officer of George Medicines, said: “Brendan joins George Medicines at a time of continued global expansion for our GMRx2 franchise, driven by multiple licensing and supply agreements around the world with major pharmaceutical partners. These partnerships are providing us with the global commercial footprint necessary to bring this important therapy to patients worldwide and Brendan’s deep expertise will be critical as we deepen our partnerships and scale GMRx2 internationally. We are delighted to welcome him to the George Medicines leadership team.” Brendan Walsh, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain & Technical Operations at George Medicines, added: “Bringing an innovative therapy such as GMRx2 from late-stage development to global commercial scale requires seamless execution across complex supply networks. George Medicines is building an impressive portfolio of partnerships and I look forward to working with colleagues and partners in an effort to ensure we have a manufacturing network with the supply capabilities that can bring GMRx2 to patients who can benefit, wherever they live in the world.” GMRx2 is George Medicines’ innovative single pill combination of three medicines, telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide, for the treatment of hypertension, developed in three doses, including two doses that are lower than those currently available in single pill combinations. By leveraging a multi-mechanism approach and low doses, GMRx2 is designed to deliver the blood pressure-lowering benefits of a triple combination therapy early in the treatment pathway, with the known safety profiles of existing antihypertensive medicines. To date, George Medicines has granted licensing and supply agreements for GMRx2 in Australia and New Zealand (Arrotex Pharmaceuticals), Brazil (Biolab Farmacêutica), Cananda, Mexico, Colombia and Central America (Bausch Health), Korea (Ahngook Pharmaceutical), South East Asia (Orient EuroPharma) and the United States (Azurity Pharmaceuticals), with further collaborations anticipated as part of the Company’s commitment to bring the value of this important medicine to patients globally. Ends About GMRx2GMRx2 is a combination tablet of telmisartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker and indapamide, a thiazide-like diuretic, available in three dosage forms – 10/1.25/0.625 mg; 20/2.5/1.25 mg and 40/5/2.5 mg. Its development is backed by a comprehensive clinical program, including two pivotal Phase III studies, published in 2024 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and The Lancet. In these trials the triple combination demonstrated significantly reduced blood pressure (BP) and improved BP control rates, when compared against dual therapy and against placebo. In both trials, tolerability was good, with no increase in withdrawal from treatment due to adverse events. GMRx2 was investigated in the Nigerian VERONICA trial, which compared the triple combination with standard of care and reported better BP lowering among those receiving GMRx2, with good tolerability compared to the standard of care protocol. A global trial led by The George Institute for Global Health and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australia and the Brazilian Ministry of Health, investigating the potential of GMRx2 to significantly reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in people who have had intracerebral hemorrhage (the most severe type of stroke) completed in 2025. The study met the primary endpoint, with GMRx2 demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction of recurrent stroke compared to matching placebo. The safety profile of GMRx2 was generally consistent with the established safety profiles of the medicine and its individual components. Serious adverse events were comparable between the two groups, affecting 23.8% of patients in the GMRx2 group and 26.8% in the placebo group. About George Medicines George Medicines is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing significant unmet need in the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases with innovative single-pill combinations of existing treatments, designed for a balance of efficacy and safety, with the potential to improve patient adherence. Multi-mechanism, single-pill combinations offer the potential to bring significant improvements in clinical outcomes with cardiometabolic disorders, including hypertension, which remain among the leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide. George Medicines is an independent spin-out company from The George Institute for Global Health, one of the world’s leading medical research institutes with a focus on addressing global health inequity. The Company is backed by George Health, the commercial arm of The George Institute, and Brandon Capital, Australia’s leading life sciences venture capital firm. For more information, please visit www.george-medicines.com. Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains “forward-looking statements,” including statements relating to George Medicines’ financial position and long-term outlook on its business, including the commercialization of its approved products and the clinical development of, regulatory filings for, and potential therapeutic and commercial potential. In addition, this press release also contains forward-looking statements relating to George Medicines’ growth and future operating results, discovery, development and commercialization of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including George Medicines’ ability to successfully commercialize its approved products, successfully conduct preclinical and clinical development and obtain necessary regulatory approvals of drug candidates. Media contacts ICR Healthcare David Daley, Lindsey Neville, Tom Daniel georgemedicines@icrhealthcare.com; Tel: +44 (0) 203 709 5700