Dose Response of Valsartan on Sitting Systolic Blood Pressure in Children 6 Months - 5 Years of Age With High Blood Pressure

Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 6 months - 5 years at Visit 1, with a documented history of hypertension * Must be able to swallow liquid formulation * Must be ≥ 6 kg or ≤ 40 kg at randomization * Must have documented history MSSBP (mean of 3 measurements) must be ≥ 95th percentile for age, gender and height, at randomization * If patients enter with uncontrolled BP they can remain on background antihypertensives with an unchanged dosing regimen * If patients have had a solid organ transplant more than 1 year ago they must be on stable doses of immunosuppressive therapy * Parent(s)/guardian(s) are able to follow verbal and/or written instructions in the local language Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with background ARB therapy * Patients demonstrating any clinically significant abnormalities or clinically noteworthy abnormal lab values (other than those relating to renal function) * AST/SGOT or ALT/SGPT \> 3 times the upper limit of the reference range * Glomerular filtration rate \< 30 mL/min/1.73m² * Serum potassium \> upper limit of the reference range * MSSBP ≥ 25% above the 95th percentile * Patients exhibiting clinically significant ECG abnormalities * Patients that have coarctation of the aorta with a gradient of ≥ 30 mm Hg, or renal artery stenosis Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply