Efficacy and Safety of Aliskiren/Amlodipine/Hydrochlorothiazide in Patients With Moderate-severe Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female * 18 years of age or older * msDBP and msSBP requirements: * 3A: * Diagnosis of moderate to severe hypertension (msSBP ≥ 160 mmHg and \< 200 mmHg, and/or msDBP ≥ 100 mmHg and \< 120 mmHg) at Visits 4, 5 or 6 (Qualifying BP visit) * In addition, at the visit immediately prior to the above qualifying visit, patients were also to have msSBP ≥ 145 mmHg and \< 200 mmHg and msDBP ≥ 95 mmHg and \< 120 mmHg) at Visits 3, 5 or 5. * Patients had to meet the above two sets of requirements at subsequent adjacent visits, i.e. either Visits 3 and 4, Visits 4 and 5, or Visits 5 and 6. * OR * 3B: * msSBP ≥ 180 mmHg and \< 200 mmHg with msDBP ≥ 95 mmHg and \< 120 mmHg, or msDBP ≥ 110 mmHg and \< 120 mmHg with msSBP ≥ 150 mmHg and \< 200 mmHg after at least one week of treatment with placebo (Visit 3 and on). Exclusion Criteria: * Continued use of anti-hypertensive medicines or use of 4 or more hypertensive medicines at study start * Patients with an msSBP ≥ 200 mmHg or msDBP ≥ 120 mmHg at any time during the placebo run-in period were to be discontinued from the study. * Extremely elevated (defined) blood pressure at any point during the study * Pregnant or lactating women * Pre-menopausal women not taking accepted form of birth control * History or evidence of secondary form of hypertension * History of cardiovascular conditions Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria applied to the study.