AstraZeneca's Baxdrostat Shows Promise in Reducing High Blood Pressure, Boosting Blockbuster Potential

AstraZeneca's experimental hypertension drug, Baxdrostat, reduced blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension. The drug, acquired in a $1.8 billion deal, has the potential for sales of over $5 billion a year. AstraZeneca plans to share the initial data with regulatory authorities worldwide. The medicine has been well-tolerated and has a favorable safety profile.

Title: AstraZeneca's Baxdrostat Demonstrates Significant Blood Pressure Reduction in Uncontrolled Hypertension Trials

AstraZeneca has announced promising results from its Phase III trial, BaxHTN, which tested the efficacy of its experimental hypertension drug, Baxdrostat. The trial, conducted in patients with uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension, demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in systolic blood pressure compared to placebo. The drug was generally well-tolerated and showed a favorable safety profile.

The BaxHTN trial involved 796 patients randomized to receive either baxdrostat at 2mg or 1mg, or placebo, once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint, the difference in mean change from baseline in seated systolic blood pressure (SBP) at Week 12, was met for both doses of baxdrostat. Additionally, the drug successfully met all secondary endpoints, including the effect on diastolic blood pressure and the incidence of adverse events.

Baxdrostat, a potential first-in-class, highly selective aldosterone synthase inhibitor (ASI), targets the hormone driving elevated blood pressure and increased cardiovascular and renal risk. It is currently being investigated in clinical trials as a monotherapy for hypertension and primary aldosteronism, as well as in combination with dapagliflozin for chronic kidney disease and the prevention of heart failure in high-risk hypertensive patients.

AstraZeneca acquired baxdrostat through its purchase of CinCor Pharma, Inc. in February 2023, for a total consideration of $1.8 billion. The company plans to share the initial data from the BaxHTN trial with regulatory authorities worldwide and present the findings at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in August 2025. AstraZeneca's Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) division is a key growth driver for the company, with an ambition to improve and save the lives of millions of people by better understanding and targeting the mechanisms that drive CVRM diseases.

The market for hypertension treatment is significant, with over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension remains a major public health challenge, with approximately 50% of hypertensive patients in the US not achieving their blood pressure goals despite multiple medications. The potential of baxdrostat to address this unmet need could lead to substantial sales for AstraZeneca, with estimates suggesting potential annual sales of over $5 billion.

References:
1. [1] http://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/baxdrostat-met-primary-and-all-secondary-endpts-in-baxhtn-phiii-trial.html
2. ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Baxdrostat in Participants With Uncontrolled Hypertension on Two or More Medications Including Participants With Resistant Hypertension (BaxHTN). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06034743. Accessed June 2025.