This multicenter study, conducted to determine the antihypertensive efficacy of bevantolol at different fixed doses compared with placebo was carried out at four separate institutions using a common protocol. One hundred thirty-nine patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were enrolled. At doses of 200 to 400 mg/day bevantolol was clearly effective in lowering diastolic blood pressure and in maintaining this effect over the eight weeks of this double-blind study. Twice a day dosing is indicated since efficacy was evident 12 hours post- dosing. Bevantolol was well tolerated.