AstraZeneca (AZ) reported positive results from the Phase III BaxHTN trial of baxdrostat, a first-in-class oral aldosterone synthase (ALDOS) inhibitor acquired through its USD 1.8 billion purchase of CinCor Pharma in 2023. The trial demonstrated statistically and clinically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) versus placebo at 12 weeks in patients with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension, meeting all primary and secondary endpoints.

Baxdrostat's high selectivity for ALDOS (over 100-fold versus cortisol synthase) addresses a key challenge in this drug class, as approximately 25% of hypertension cases involve aldosterone dysregulation. With 1.3 billion hypertension patients globally and half failing to achieve adequate blood pressure control, baxdrostat could become the first ALDOS inhibitor approved specifically for hypertension. AZ plans to present detailed data at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in August 2025.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm database, among the 22 ALDOS-targeting programs active globally only Novarti's osilodrostat holds regulatory approval. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm.