The selective endothelin (ET)Areceptor antagonist darusentan shows benefits in patients with moderate hypertension, according to results of the HEAT-2*trial presented recently at the 23rd Congress of the European Society of Cardiology [Stockholm, Sweden; September 2001]. A dose-dependent reduction in BP was seen after 6 weeks of therapy with darusentan, and importantly, was not accompanied by any change in pulse rate, leading Dr Roumen Nakov from Knoll AG, Germany, to conclude that'selective endothelin A receptor antagonism holds promise as an effective and safe treatment principle for hypertension'.In contrast, disappointing data were seen with the dual ETAand ETBreceptor antagonist tezosentan in patients with acute heart failure (HF) in the RITZ-1*study. No significant improvements in dyspnoea were seen, compared with placebo, and there was also an increase in adverse events in patients who received tezosentan.