Efficacy and Safety of Aliskiren Administered in Combination With Amlodipine Versus Amlodipine Alone in African American Patients With Stage 2 Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria: * Men or women of African American background; self identified * Patients with stage 2 hypertension defined as MSSBP ≥ 160 mmHg and \< 200 mmHg at Visit 5 (randomization Exclusion Criteria: * Office blood pressure measured by cuff (MSDBP ≥ 110 mmHg and/or MSSBP ≥ 200 mmHg) * Patients on 4 or more antihypertensive medications. * Patients with uncontrolled hypertension (MSSBP \>180 mmHg) taking more than 1 antihypertensive medication at Visit 1 * Refractory hypertension, defined as, unresponsive to triple drug therapy at the maximum dose of each drug, one of which must be a diuretic, and not at blood pressure goal (140/90 mmHg). Therapy with a fixed dose combination of two active substances represent two drugs. * History of malignancy of any organ system (other than localized basal cell carcinoma of the skin), treated or untreated, within the past 5 years, regardless of whether there is evidence of local recurrence or metastases. * Evidence of a secondary form of hypertension, including but not limited to any of the following: * coarctation of the aorta * hyperaldosteronism * unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis * Cushing's disease * polycystic kidney disease * pheochromocytoma * Known Keith-Wagener grade III or IV hypertensive retinopathy. * History of angioedema due to usage of an ARB or ACE inhibitor. * History of hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, heart failure (NYHA Class II-IV), coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), unstable angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction in the last 12 months Other protocol defined inclusion/exclusion criteria applied