Lemildipine is a new blocker of dihydropyridine calcium entry.

Lemildipine significantly reduces blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), being 1.4 times more potent than Nifedipine, with ED30 values of 10.2 mg/kg and 14.3 mg/kg, respectively[2]. Intraperitoneal administration of Lemildipine (0.1-3 mg/kg) to gerbils after occlusion results in a significant increase in neuronal cell density (NCD) in the CA1 subfield four days post-ischemia, from 43±10.8 cells/mm in the control group to 143±24.2 cells/mm in the Lemildipine (3 mg/kg) group (P<0.01). In normal Wistar rats (NWR), oral Lemildipine (3-30 mg/kg) produces mild, dose-dependent reductions in systolic blood pressure. Lemildipine (3 mg/kg) also significantly inhibits delayed neuronal death (DND) at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-ischemia, with average NCD values of 80±9.4 (P<0.01), 92±13.7 (P<0.05), and 57±5.0 (P<0.01) cells/mm compared to control values of 43±7.7, 52±9.3, and 43±12.4 cells/mm, respectively. The protective effects of Lemildipine in the hippocampal CA1 subfield persist for up to 4 weeks after transient forebrain ischemia[1]. The maximum blood pressure reduction occurs 1-3 hours post-administration. Hypotensive potency, measured using dose-response curves and ED30, reaffirms Lemildipine's greater efficacy compared to Nifedipine.