Cilnidipine

Cilnidipine (INN) is a calcium channel blocker. It is sold as 'Atelec' in Japan, and as 'Cilacar' in India as 5 mg and 10 mg tablets.

Cilnidipine is a dual blocker of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle and N-type calcium channels in sympathetic nerve terminals that supply blood vessels. However, the clinical benefits of cilnidipine and underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood.

Clinidipine is the new type of calcium antagonist accompanied with L-type and N-type calcium channel blocking function. It was jointly developed by Fuji Viscera Pharmaceutical Company, Japan and Ajinomoto, Japan and approved to come into market for the first time and used for high blood pressure treatment in 1995. Compared with other calcium antagonists, clinidipine can act on the N-type calcium-channel that existing sympathetic nerve end besides acting on L-type calcium-channel that similar to most of the calcium antagonists.