Triumph

The TRIUMPH study investigated the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of initial or early use of fixed dose combination of three anti-hypertensive drugs in the form of a triple pill, compared to usual care among individuals with mild to moderate hypertension on no or minimal drug therapy. The trial was randomized, open label and was conducted over a period of one year. The Sponsor of the study, the George Institute for Global Health established a partnership with University of Kelaniya and with the support of RemediumOne, a local clinical research organization, implemented the study in 11 centers across Sri Lanka, recruiting 700 trial subjects. Effective recruitment strategies along with investigators and study teams committed to good quality data were key strengths of the partnership and were critical in the successful completion of the trial. Results of the study demonstrated that 70% of patients using the Triple Pill reached target blood pressure levels compared to 50% receiving usual care. The study results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in August 2018. The TRIUMPH study has global relevance and has turned out to be a policy changing trial. It has potential for lowering health system costs by reducing doctor visits, better blood pressure control, and by making the medication more convenient for patients to take.