Telmisartan flies the ARB flag, ACE inhibitors losing the battle?

Telmisartan is noninferior to ramipril in the treatment of hypertension, and appears to have a better tolerability profile, according to the results of the ONTARGET* study, presented at the 57th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology1 (ACC) [Chicago, Illinois, US; March/April 2008] and simultaneously published online in the NEJM.2 ONTARGET was designed to compare the angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan with the ACE inhibitor ramipril to determine noninferiority and also to examine whether treatment with both agents combined was superior to treatment with ramipril alone.