WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — PRM Pharma, LLC announced the nationwide launch of HemiClor® (chlorthalidone) 12.5 mg tablets, the first and only FDA-approved 12.5 mg formulation of chlorthalidone for adult hypertension. The product arrives as new national guidelines reaffirm chlorthalidone’s role as a cornerstone treatment for high blood pressure.
The announcement follows the release of the 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Guideline, which encourages clinicians to “maximize diuretic therapy” by replacing hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) with chlorthalidone 12.5 mg or 25 mg in patients with resistant hypertension. The guidance cites chlorthalidone’s longer half-life and stronger cardiovascular outcome data compared to traditional thiazide diuretics.
“Chlorthalidone has played a key role in hypertension treatment strategies for decades,” said Dr. William B. White, professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and past president of the American Society of Hypertension. “Having access to a 12.5 mg dose in the U.S. may offer clinicians additional flexibility when initiating therapy and aligns with current treatment recommendations for many adult patients with stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension.”
Resistant hypertension affects up to one in five U.S. adults with high blood pressure and carries a markedly increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and cardiovascular death. The AHA/ACC guidelines recommend starting antihypertensive therapy with a combination of an ACE inhibitor or ARB, a calcium channel blocker, and a diuretic—favoring chlorthalidone over HCTZ for its proven efficacy in lowering blood pressure and improving long-term outcomes.
“The evidence for the benefit of low-dose chlorthalidone spans over 30 years, but unfortunately we’ve lacked a commercially available product that enabled widespread use of the drug effectively in practice,” said Dr. Michael Ernst of the University of Iowa. “The availability of a low-dose formulation aligns with our contemporary understanding of how to optimize the benefit-risk when using the drug.”
Chlorthalidone’s effectiveness has been validated in landmark trials such as ALLHAT and SHEP, which found that regimens beginning with 12.5 mg doses significantly reduced cardiovascular events. The FDA approved HemiClor® on March 17, 2025, paving the way for broader access to low-dose therapy that matches long-standing clinical recommendations.
HemiClor® is now available in pharmacies nationwide. Eligible patients may be able to lower out-of-pocket costs through pharmacy savings programs such as SaveHealth, GoodRx, SingleCare, and WellRx.
For more information, visit www.HemiClor.com.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.