A groundbreaking medical research project conducted in Sri Lanka has achieved global recognition for developing a new treatment for high blood pressure. The findings were first announced at a press conference held at the University of Kelaniya on the 3rd.
This newly developed drug, designed to control hypertension, is the result of extensive research carried out by a medical team from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. The announcement was made during a special media briefing at the Sanathana Mandira Auditorium, where the team of specialist doctors who led the study were present.
The new medication was developed through a collaborative research initiative that began in 2016, involving several hospitals across Sri Lanka as well as international universities and research institutions. The project was spearheaded by the Clinical Trials Unit of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Kelaniya. One of the most remarkable features of this new drug is its ability to help prevent bleeding in the brain—commonly known as a stroke—caused by high blood pressure.
Globally, about 20 million people suffer strokes each year, and researchers have found that roughly 10 percent of these cases are due to internal bleeding within the brain. Even after recovery, the risk of experiencing another stroke remains high. The TRIDENT (Triple Therapy in Hypertension) study has been identified as a major breakthrough in reducing this risk.
According to the research team, the TRIDENT study is an international clinical trial aimed at determining whether more intensive blood pressure control can prevent recurrent strokes in patients who have suffered from intracerebral hemorrhage. The findings indicate that effective blood pressure management can significantly increase survival rates and improve outcomes for stroke patients.
Sri Lanka, which has one of the highest stroke mortality rates in South Asia, will greatly benefit from this new discovery. The press conference revealed that out of the country’s 22 million population, about 10.04 per 1,000 adults have suffered a stroke.
At the media briefing, Senior Professor Asitha de Silva, Director of the Clinical Trials Unit and Senior Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Kelaniya, stated that the World Health Organization has approved the new drug as an essential medicine, with full support from the Ministry of Health. The study involved 700 patients from 11 hospitals across Sri Lanka, and around 70 percent achieved blood pressure levels of 140/90 or lower using the new single pill that combines three medications.
The Fourth South Asian Clinical Development Forum, co-sponsored by two international institutions and the University of Kelaniya, will be held in Colombo on the 6th and 7th of this month. Experts from the WHO, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, and France are expected to participate.
Cardiologists Dr. Gamini Galappaththi and Dr. Gotabhaya Ranasinghe, Neurologists Dr. Bimsara Senanayake and Professor Udaya Ranawaka, along with several other specialists, shared their insights during the event. The press conference, organized by the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Kelaniya, was held under the patronage of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva.
