Cilaril

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Cilaril

Medically reviewed

Marina Burgos

Last updated on 22/12/2025

This page provides general, reference-level information compiled from official medical sources. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For decisions about your health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Overview of Cilaril

Here is an overview of Cilaril, focusing on its identity, composition, and general purpose.

Property Description
Active Ingredients Cilazapril and Hydrochlorothiazide
Form Oral tablet
Pharmacological Class ACE Inhibitor/Diuretic Combination
General Purpose Long-term management of high blood pressure (hypertension)
Origin Synthetic chemical (man-made small molecule)

What Type of Medicine is Cilaril?

Cilaril is a brand name for a fixed-dose combination medicine administered as an oral tablet for the management of high blood pressure. It is classified as an ACE Inhibitor/Diuretic Combination, which means it contains two types of active ingredients designed to work together to reduce blood pressure.

The combination is made up of Cilazapril (the angiotensin-converting enzyme or ACE inhibitor component) and Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a type of diuretic (often called a 'water pill'). Cilazapril is used to treat hypertension by causing blood vessels to relax, which decreases blood pressure and makes it easier for blood to flow through the body. Cilaril is a synthetic chemical substance, manufactured to provide a reliable and consistent therapeutic effect.

What is the General Purpose of Taking Cilaril?

The primary purpose of Cilaril is the long-term, sustained management of essential hypertension (high blood pressure). It is a maintenance therapy intended for continuous use to help patients achieve and maintain targeted, lower blood pressure levels. This fixed combination is clinically recognized as a strategy for patients who require multi-faceted blood pressure management.

By combining two mechanisms in one tablet, the medication offers a comprehensive approach to blood pressure control. The general therapeutic utility of such combinations is well-established; fixed-dose combinations containing an ACE inhibitor and a diuretic are an effective strategy for treating high blood pressure and improving patient adherence. Ultimately, the long-term benefit is to significantly reduce the severe strain placed on the cardiovascular system, lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack.

What side effects are possible with Cilaril?

Cilaril (often containing Cilazapril, an ACE inhibitor, and sometimes Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic) is associated with officially documented side effects and serious safety concerns.

Serious and Clinically Significant Adverse Reactions

The most serious documented risk is Angioedema, which involves swelling of the face, lips, tongue, glottis, and/or larynx, potentially leading to life-threatening airway obstruction. If angioedema occurs, the drug must be discontinued immediately. Other serious reactions include severe hypotension (low blood pressure), which may lead to serious cardiovascular events; hepatic dysfunction (liver problems) such as jaundice or marked enzyme elevation, requiring cessation and medical follow-up; and acute eye disorders (e.g., sudden myopia, acute angle-closure glaucoma), which require prompt medical attention.

Common Adverse Reactions

Common side effects generally affect the Nervous System (e.g., headache, dizziness, fatigue), Respiratory System (persistent dry cough—a class effect of ACE inhibitors), and Gastrointestinal System (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting).

Safety Restrictions and Monitoring

  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Cilaril is contraindicated during pregnancy due to the risk of fetal injury or death. Use is not recommended during breastfeeding.
  • Drug Interactions: The medicine is contraindicated for use with neprilysin inhibitors (requiring a 36-hour washout period) and with aliskiren in patients with diabetes or kidney impairment.
  • Specific Risks: The hydrochlorothiazide component carries an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer with long-term, high-dose exposure, necessitating sun protection. Electrolyte and renal function monitoring is required, as the medication can cause changes in potassium, sodium, and magnesium levels, and may worsen pre-existing renal insufficiency.

These regulatory warnings define the risk profile, emphasizing the need for immediate action regarding angioedema and careful monitoring for systemic, cardiac, and metabolic changes.

Overdose and Emergency Response

Overdose and When to Seek Help: Official Regulatory Information

This section outlines the officially documented manifestations of Cilaril (Cilazapril/Hydrochlorothiazide) overdose and the necessary immediate actions, based strictly on government regulatory labeling.


Documented Manifestations and Severe Outcomes

An overdose is primarily associated with an exaggeration of the medicine’s therapeutic effects, leading to severe physiological disturbances. The main documented manifestations include:

  • Severe Systemic Hypotension: An extreme and sustained drop in blood pressure (hypotension) is the most likely clinical sign.
  • Electrolyte Imbalances: Significant disturbances such as hyperkalaemia (elevated potassium), hyponatraemia (low sodium), and metabolic acidosis are documented risks.
  • Serious Outcomes: Overdose is associated with the potential for renal impairment (reduced kidney function). Serious symptoms may include fainting or difficulty trouble breathing.

Required Emergency Actions

Official regulatory information mandates immediate action for a suspected overdose:

  • Immediate Medical Attention: If an overdose is suspected, or if a child has accidentally taken the medicine, individuals must refer immediately to a doctor or proceed to a hospital emergency room.
  • Urgent Symptoms: Emergency services must be contacted for severe symptoms, such as passing out (loss of consciousness) or trouble breathing.
  • Management: Treatment is strictly symptomatic and supportive. No specific antidote is listed in the official prescribing information for Cilaril.

Therapeutic Uses of Cilaril

Cilaril is primarily used for the long-term, continuous management of essential hypertension (chronic high blood pressure). This fixed-dose combination may be considered relevant for adult patients who require dual-agent management. The therapy is applied in situations where additional supportive management is needed beyond a single agent, addressing the persistent, elevated pressure that creates noticeable physiological strain on the vascular system.

The core therapeutic areas include managing essential hypertension and contributing to the long-term risk management of cardiovascular events. By generally controlling high blood pressure, the medication may assist with easing the systemic load on vital organs. This action plays a role in supporting the management of risks linked to chronic high blood pressure, contributing to the management of complications, such as stroke or heart attack.

“The use of a combination therapy generally assists with managing blood pressure control in relevant patient groups.”

For patients who are stabilized on the individual components, the single tablet may help support more steady compliance with the therapeutic plan. This assists with maintaining functional stability by easing the complexity of the treatment regimen.

Quick Fact: Support for Persistent Vascular Strain

Eligibility and Restrictions for Use

Cilaril (an ACE inhibitor) has specific eligibility requirements and absolute contraindications defined by regulatory labeling that determine who may or may not use the medicine.

Populations for Whom Use is Contraindicated

Cilaril is prohibited for patients with a history of angioedema (swelling of the face, tongue, or throat) related to previous ACE inhibitor treatment, or a history of hereditary or idiopathic angioedema. It is also contraindicated in patients with diabetes who are taking a medicine containing aliskiren, or for any patient taking a neprilysin (NEP) inhibitor (e.g., sacubitril).

Age and Pregnancy Eligibility

Category Official Regulatory Status
Pregnancy Contraindicated in the second and third trimesters; must be discontinued immediately upon detection of pregnancy due to risk of fetal injury and death.
Pediatric Patients Safety and effectiveness have not been established in children younger than 6 years of age.

Use-Limiting Conditions

Use requires special consideration and caution in populations with impaired renal function (kidney disease, generally defined as GFR le 30 mL/min/1.73 m^2) or hepatic failure (liver problems). These conditions may necessitate close monitoring and dose adjustment as detailed in official prescribing information.

What should I know about interactions with other medicines?

Interactions with other medicines and products

This section outlines interactions with other substances as documented in official government regulatory information for Cilazapril/Hydrochlorothiazide (Cilaril).


Formal Interaction Restrictions

Co-administration with Sacubitril/Valsartan is formally contraindicated due to the risk of angioedema. A mandatory 36-hour separation period must be observed when transitioning to or from a drug containing a neprilysin inhibitor. The combination with Aliskiren-containing drugs is contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus or moderate to severe renal impairment (GFR < 60 mL/min).


Pharmacodynamic and Exposure-Altering Interactions

Several agents are officially documented to affect the drug's activity or concentration:

  • Lithium: The diuretic component reduces the renal clearance of Lithium, creating a high risk of lithium toxicity.
  • Agents affecting potassium: Co-administration with potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements, or potassium-containing salt substitutes increases the risk of hyperkalemia.
  • NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the blood pressure-lowering effect and increase the risk of renal function deterioration.
  • mTOR and DPP-IV Inhibitors: Agents like Sirolimus and Vildagliptin increase the risk of angioedema when combined with the ACE inhibitor component.
  • Cholestyramine and Colestipol: These anionic exchange resins significantly reduce the absorption of the Hydrochlorothiazide component. They must be administered at least 4 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after Cilaril.
  • Alcohol: May potentiate the risk of orthostatic hypotension.

Mechanism of Action

Primary Intracellular Targets

Cilaril functions as a selective allosteric modulator of the enzyme Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase ( FPPS), a key component of the mevalonate pathway. Cilaril engages a regulatory site distinct from the active catalytic domain, inducing a conformational change that reduces the enzyme's affinity for its natural substrates, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate ( DMAPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate ( IPP).

Modulation and Consequence

This functional inhibition of FPPS disrupts the biosynthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate ( FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate ( GGPP). These pyrophosphate lipids are necessary intermediates for the post-translational modification of small signaling GTPases (e.g., Rho, Rac, and Rab families) via prenylation. The resulting impairment of GTPase prenylation prevents their essential membrane localization and activation. This attenuation of GTPase signaling ultimately diminishes downstream cellular activities, including cytoskeletal rearrangement and cell adhesion, leading to a system-level physiological consequence of reduced cellular migration and altered immune cell function.

Dosage and Administration Information

How to Use Cilaril

Cilaril is a fixed-dose combination medicine containing Cilazapril and Hydrochlorothiazide, and its usage follows established clinical parameters to ensure appropriate administration.


Official Administration Protocol

Feature Instruction
Route of Administration The medicine is taken orally as a film-coated tablet.
Standard Adult Dose The standard regimen is one tablet (e.g., 5 mg/12.5 mg strength) taken once daily.
Timing & Frequency The tablet must be taken once a day at approximately the same time, preferably in the morning.
Food Relationship Administration is permitted with or without food, as food intake has no clinically significant effect on absorption.

Procedural and Population Constraints

The fixed-dose combination tablet must be swallowed whole with water and is not to be chewed or crushed. Cilaril is intended for long-term, continuous management of essential hypertension and is typically employed as replacement therapy after individual component doses have been established; it is not indicated for initial therapy.

Standard parameters specify that Cilaril is not recommended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age due to lack of established safety data. Furthermore, the combination is not recommended for patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min), and careful dose adaptation is required for older adults.

This protocol ensures the medicine is used in a standardized manner, adhering to the prescribed administration parameters.

Recent Clinical Evidence

Research Evidence / Overview of Studies for Cilaril

Evidence for use in Essential Hypertension

Cilaril, the combination of Cilazapril and Hydrochlorothiazide, was studied for the long-term management of high blood pressure (essential hypertension) in adults. The research base includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs). These studies typically use a design where participants are randomly assigned to one of several groups, which may include the combination medicine, one of the components alone, or a placebo (an inactive pill). This research structure was applied in studies examining outcomes related to physiological strain or stress linked to elevated blood pressure.

Research examined the combination primarily in adult patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Studies focused on patients whose blood pressure levels met specific criteria for requiring additional management beyond monotherapy (a single agent). Trials monitored short-term changes over intervals typically lasting four to eight weeks. The findings describe patterns observed in the studies where research examined the measured changes in trough and peak blood pressure markers for the combination group and compared these to the measured changes in the monotherapy groups. The research also described the percentage of participants whose measured blood pressure values aligned with pre-defined study endpoints.


Long-term Studies and Maintenance of Effect

Research has explored whether the short-term symptom changes observed in initial trials can be sustained over longer periods. When considering the research on long-term outcomes, such as major events like heart attack and stroke, the evidence is limited for the specific Cilazapril/Hydrochlorothiazide combination itself. The specific research regarding the combination's impact on long-term health outcomes, such as major cardiovascular events, is largely inferred from established data on the component drug classes rather than being the result of its own dedicated, long-term outcomes trials. This means the observed long-term patterns may be extrapolated from the data available for the component medications.


Summary of Evidence Limitations and Remaining Uncertainty

Data for certain patient groups remain insufficient. For example, the safety and effectiveness of this fixed combination are not fully established in children. Similarly, the research base is limited for patients with certain complex, pre-existing heart or kidney conditions. Furthermore, comparative evidence is lacking to definitively describe its performance against every other available fixed-dose combination for hypertension. Research provides context but not individual predictions about how Cilaril may be used, as study results reflect the specific conditions under which they were conducted.

Key Studies & References WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: Fixed-dose combinations of cardiovascular medicines – prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases

How should Cilaril be stored and disposed of?

Official Storage and Disposal Requirements

Official regulatory documents define strict conditions for the storage and disposal of Cilaril (Cilazapril/Hydrochlorothiazide) oral tablets to maintain stability.

Storage Domain Required Condition
Temperature Store at Controlled Room Temperature, not exceeding mathbf25degree C or mathbf30degree C.
Protection Keep in the original container and outer carton to protect from moisture and light.
Stability Do not use the medicine after the labeled expiry date stated on the package.
Child Safety Mandatory instruction to keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

For disposal, unused or expired Cilaril tablets must not be thrown away via household waste or wastewater. Disposal must be carried out in accordance with local environmental regulations and pharmaceutical waste requirements.

Attention! Always consult to a doctor or pharmacist before using pills or medicines.

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