UPDATE 1-U.S. FDA clears Takeda blood pressure pill

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co (4502.T) won U.S. approval on Friday to sell a new once-daily pill for adults with high blood pressure.

Takeda's medicine, Edarbi, was more effective in clinical trials than two older drugs - Novartis AG's (NOVN.VX) Diovan and Daiichi Sankyo's (4568.T) Benicar, the Food and Drug Administration said. The company said the studies measured blood pressure at a doctor's office and over a 24-hour period outside a doctor's office.

All three medicines lower blood pressure by blocking the action of angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels.

The Takeda drug will carry a boxed warning, the strongest type for prescription drugs, saying use should be avoided by pregnant women. Taking Edarbi during the second or third trimester can cause injury or death to a fetus, the FDA said.