AstraZeneca (AZ) has submitted a new drug application in China for baxdrostat, a first-in-class, oral inhibitor of aldosterone synthase (encoded by CYP11B2) for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension. The drug received priority review in the US in December 2025. If approved, baxdrostat would be the first aldosterone synthase inhibitor on the market. AZ acquired the asset through its USD 1.8 billion acquisition of CinCor Pharma in 2023.

The submission is supported by positive global Phase III data (BaxHTN) showing a statistically significant reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to placebo. The candidate is designed to be highly selective for aldosterone synthase over the closely related cortisol synthase (CYP11B1), a key challenge in the field. AZ also recently announced that a separate Phase III trial in an Asian population (BaxAsia) met its primary endpoint. Baxdrostat joins a competitive global landscape for aldosterone synthase inhibitors, with other candidates from Mineralys Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim also in late-stage development.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database lists a total of eight aldosterone synthase inhibitor candidates in clinical stage. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.