Exforge tablets contain two active ingredients, amlodipine and valsartan.

Valsartan is a type of medicine called an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Amlodipine is a type of medicine called a calcium channel blocker. These are both medicines used to lower high blood pressure.

Valsartan works by preventing the action of a hormone in the body called angiotensin II. Angiotensin II normally acts on special receptors in the body, with two main results. It causes the peripheral blood vessels to narrow, and it also stimulates the production of another hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone causes salt and water to be retained by the kidneys, which increases the volume of fluid in the blood vessels.

Valsartan blocks the receptors that angiotensin II acts on, and so prevents its actions. The main result of this is that the peripheral blood vessels are allowed to widen, which means that there is more space and less resistance in these blood vessels. This helps lower blood pressure.

Amlodipine works by slowing the movement of calcium through the muscle cells that are found in the walls of blood vessels and heart. It does this by blocking 'calcium channels' in these muscle cells. Calcium is needed by muscle cells in order for them to contract, so by depriving them of calcium, amlodipine causes the muscle cells to relax. Amlodipine acts specifically on the muscle cells in the walls of arteries, causing them to relax. This allows the arteries in the body to widen.

The relaxing and widening of the small arteries in the body decreases the resistance that the heart has to push against in order to pump the blood around the body. This reduces the pressure within the blood vessels. Amlodipine can therefore be used to treat high blood pressure.

The combination of valsartan with amlodipine is used when blood pressure has not been lowered sufficiently by taking valsartan or amlodipine alone.