Hypertension (HTN), which is one of the most common diseases affecting mankind, is associated to increased morbidity, mortality and cost to society. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death all around the world and HTN is the most common reversible risk factor for CVDs. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) orders an important role  in the regulation of blood pressure (BP), and so, at present, has been a target for clinical control by drugs acting on the system. Despite the fact that effective drugs are available, only about one out of three people has their blood pressure successfully controlled, and the fault goes to the undesirable side effects and the poor oral drug compliance. Keeping in mind the increasing incidence of HTN and the patients' inconsistency for the polypharmacy, immunization against renin and the angiotensins, although with less success, had been attempted in the past. More recently, immunization against angiotensin-I with PMD-3117 vaccine, angiotensin-II with CYT006-AngQb vaccine and targeting angiotensin-II type 1A receptor with ATR12181 vaccine have provided optimism in the development of a HTN  vaccine. AngQb vaccine has proved to become the 1st  vaccine ever to lower (-9/-4 mm Hg) BP in human beings. Vaccine could induce long lasting effects with a dosing interval of months, increasing patient acceptability and compliance and thus a better control of high BP.

References:

1. Pandey R, Quan WY, Hong F, Jie SL. Int J Cardiol. 2009: Vaccine for hypertension: modulating the renin-angiotensin system; 134(2):160-8
2. Do TH, Chen Y, Nguyen VT, Phisitkul S. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2010: Vaccines in the management of hypertension; 10(7):1077-87.