AstraZeneca PLC said its experimental drug baxdrostat significantly lowered blood pressure in patients with a hard-to-treat form of hypertension, meeting the main goal of a late-stage trial.
The Phase III study showed the drug, given on top of standard care, achieved a statistically significant reduction in 24-hour systolic blood pressure compared with a placebo over 12 weeks, the company reported.
Treatment-resistant hypertension is a condition where blood pressure remains high despite the use of three or more medications.
According to the company, about half of U.S. patients being treated for hypertension still do not have their blood pressure under control.
"The Bax24 results show that a once-daily baxdrostat regimen can deliver highly clinically meaningful reductions in 24-hour systolic blood pressure, including in the morning when patients are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke," said Dr. Bryan Williams, the trial's primary investigator.
The drug, which works by inhibiting the hormone aldosterone, was generally well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with a previous trial, AstraZeneca said.
The company, which acquired baxdrostat through its 2023 purchase of CinCor Pharma, plans to submit the data to global regulatory authorities and present the findings at a medical conference in November.
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