AstraZeneca Achieves Promising Results for New Hypertension Treatment, Boosting $80 Billion Ambition

AstraZeneca unveiled promising results for its new hypertension treatment, baxdrostat, which lowered patients' systolic blood pressure by 15.7 mmHg over 12 weeks. This outperformed the placebo by 9.8 mmHg and exceeded analysts' expectations. The drug has a $5 billion-plus opportunity and is expected to contribute to AstraZeneca's goal of achieving $80 billion in sales by 2030.

Title: AstraZeneca's Baxdrostat Shows Promising Results in Hypertension Trial

AstraZeneca has unveiled promising results for its new hypertension treatment, baxdrostat, which lowered patients' systolic blood pressure by 15.7 mmHg over 12 weeks. This outperformed the placebo by 9.8 mmHg and exceeded analysts' expectations. The drug has a $5 billion-plus opportunity and is expected to contribute to AstraZeneca's goal of achieving $80 billion in sales by 2030.

The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial, known as the BaxHTN Phase III trial, enrolled 800 adults with uncontrolled or resistant high blood pressure, who were already taking two or more medications for at least four weeks. Participants were divided into three groups: one receiving 1 mg of baxdrostat, another receiving 2 mg, and a placebo group.

At 12 weeks, approximately 40% of patients taking baxdrostat reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared to less than 20% in the placebo group. Specifically, the 1 mg and 2 mg doses of baxdrostat led to a reduction in systolic blood pressure of around 9 to 10 mmHg more than the placebo, a reduction that is considered clinically significant and could significantly lower cardiovascular risk.

Baxdrostat works by blocking aldosterone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that regulates salt and water balance. Excess aldosterone can lead to increased blood pressure, and baxdrostat's novel mechanism of action addresses this issue. The drug was generally well tolerated, with the most common side effect being mild abnormalities in potassium and sodium levels.

The results of the trial are significant for patients with hard-to-control hypertension, who often struggle to achieve adequate blood pressure control despite being on multiple medications. The drug's potential to provide sustained blood pressure reduction could be a valuable addition to the current treatment options for hypertension.

AstraZeneca plans to submit its data to regulatory agencies before the end of 2025. If approved, baxdrostat could become a "central pillar of therapy for difficult-to-control hypertension," according to Dr. Tomasz Guzik and Dr. Maciej Tomaszewski, who wrote an editorial accompanying the publication. The company expects baxdrostat to contribute significantly to its sales targets by 2030.

# References:
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/30/health/blood-pressure-medicine-baxdrostat
[2] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025-08-30:newsml_Wkr3jVXBW:0-baxdrostat-demonstrated-statistically-significant-and-clinically-meaningful-reduction-in-systolic-blood-pressure-in-patients-with-hard-to-control-hypertension-in-the-baxhtn-phase-iii-trial/