Astra says potential blockbuster reduced high blood pressure

At 12 weeks those on Baxdrostat had a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systolic blood pressure, which shows how forcefully the heart is pumping blood into arteries.

AstraZeneca Plc’s experimental hypertension drug Baxdrostat reduced the blood pressure of patients who have an uncontrolled or treatment-resistant form of the condition, boosting the prospects of the medicine becoming a blockbuster.

Patients in a late-stage trial received one of two different doses of Baxdrostat or a placebo drug once a day, the drugmaker said Monday. At 12 weeks those on Baxdrostat had a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systolic blood pressure, which shows how forcefully the heart is pumping blood into arteries.

Shares of AstraZeneca rose as much as 2.1% in early trading in London. They were little changed since the start of the year through Friday’s close.

The medicine was acquired as part of the purchase of CinCor Pharma Inc. in 2023 in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion. Astra has identified Baxdrostat as having potential sales of more than $5 billion a year, while Barclays estimates it could bring in about $2 billion a year when taken as a single drug.

In the US, about 50% of patients with hypertension who are on multiple treatments don’t have their blood pressure under control, according to Astra.

Baxdrostat is from a new class of medicines called aldosterone synthase inhibitors. Aldosterone is thought to be a key hormonal driver of hypertension.

The drug, which is taken as a pill, was generally well tolerated and had a favorable safety profile, Astra said. The initial data published Monday will be shared with regulatory authorities around the world, it said.

Under Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca has become a powerhouse for cancer medicines. Still, the British drugmaker has a significant pipeline of medicines for other conditions, with cardiovascular, renal and metabolism seen as a key area for future growth.