A vaccine against angiotensin appears to reduce blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension.

In a phase II trial, a 300 mg dose of the vaccine reduced ambulatory blood pressure at week 14 without any serious side effects, the Lancet reports.

Cytos Biotechnology, which is developing the CYT006-AngQb vaccine, randomised 72 patients to get a saline placebo, 100 micrograms of the vaccine or 300 micrograms of the drug.

Participants were given injections at weeks zero, four and 12 of the trial.

The 300 microgram group showed an average reduction in ambulatory daytime blood pressure from baseline, compared with placebo, of 9.0 mmHg systolic and 4.0 mmHg diastolic.

Participants in the 300 microgram group also showed a reduction in early morning blood-pressure surge, compared with placebo at 25 mm Hg systolic and 13 mm Hg diastolic at 8am.

Five serious adverse effects were reported with two of these in the 100 microgram group, two in the 300 microgram group and one in the placebo group; however none was thought to be connected to the treatment.

Influenza-like symptoms were noted in three patients in the 100 microgram group, seven in the 300 microgram group and none in the placebo group.

The study's lead researcher Dr Martin Bachmann said the vaccine potentially offered physicians and patients a simpler way of controlling high blood pressure.

"Such a regimen is likely to promote adherence to treatment, but will need to be supported by clinical data," he said.

In an accompanying editorial Ola Samuelsson from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden described the findings as "intriguing and promising".

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