Safety and Efficacy of Valsartan Plus Hydrochlorothiazide and Amlodipine in Hypertensive Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Female or male patient with age ≧ 18 years old. * Patient with mild to moderate uncomplicated essential hypertension, and the blood pressure not adequately controlled on existing antihypertensive treatment. * Patient with sitting systolic blood pressure (sSBP)/ sitting diastolic blood pressure (sDBP) ≦ 180/110 mmHg at screening visit. * For non-diabetic patient, sitting systolic blood pressure (sSBP) ≧ 140 mmHg or sitting diastolic blood pressure (sDBP) ≧ 90 mmHg at baseline visit; for diabetic patient, sitting systolic blood pressure (sSBP) ≧ 130 mmHg or sitting diastolic blood pressure (sDBP) ≧ 80 mmHg at baseline visit. * Patient or his/her legally acceptable representative has signed and dated the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Known or suspected secondary hypertension. * sSBP \> 180 mmHg or sDBP \> 110 mmHg at baseline visit. * Patients taking more than two anti-hypertensive medications at the screening visit. (Fixed-dose combinations of two or more antihypertensive therapies will be counted as two or more antihypertensive medications.) * Known NYHA functional class Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) III and IV. * With a history of myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident within the preceding 6 months, clinically significant valvular heart disease, or hepatic and/or renal dysfunction as defined by the following laboratory parameters * SGPT (ALT) or SGOT (AST) \> two times upper the limit of normal range * Serum creatinine \> 2.3 mg/dl or creatinine clearance \< 30 ml/min Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply