Efficacy and Safety of Valsartan/Amlodipine in Patients With Mild to Moderate Essential Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must give written informed consent * Male or female ages 18 or older and less than 86 years * Diagnosed as having essential diastolic hypertension, as follows: * Visit 2/Single-blind run-in entry, all participants MUST have a MSDBP ≥ 95 mmHg and \< 100 mmHg * At Visit 3/Core double-blind treatment period entry, all patients MUST have a MSDBP \>=90 mmHg and \<110 mmHg Exclusion Criteria: * Severe hypertension * Evidence of secondary form of hypertension (coarctation of the aorta, hyperaldosteronism, unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis, Cushing's disease, pheochromocytoma or polycystic kidney disease ) * Malignant hypertension * Administration of any agent indicated for the treatment of hypertension after Visit 1 * Known moderate or malignant retinopathy. * Known or suspected contraindications, including history of allergy or hypersensitivity to Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs), Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs), or to drugs with similar chemical structures * History of hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction or all types of revascularization, angina pectoris of any type, including unstable angina * History of heart failure Grade II-IV according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification * Second of third degree heart block regardless of the use of a pacemaker, concomitant potentially life-threatening arrhythmia or symptomatic arrhythmia Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply