(Reuters) -AstraZeneca’s experimental drug baxdrostat has been successful in lowering high blood pressure in a late-stage study of people whose condition was hard to control or treat, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said on Monday, sending shares up 2%.
The drug met the main and secondary goals of the study at two dosages, with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systolic blood pressure at 12 weeks when given with standard treatment, and compared with placebo, AstraZeneca said.
The company added baxdrostat to its roster after it acquired CinCor Pharma in 2023 as part of its efforts to build out its pipeline of heart and kidney disease treatments.
AstraZeneca shares rose 2% to 106.60 pounds per share, and were among top percentage gainers on the blue-chip FTSE 100 index in early trading.
The drug works by targeting and suppressing the hormone aldosterone, which is responsible for increasing blood pressure and causing risk of heart and kidney diseases.
The drug is currently also being investigated as a standalone therapy for hypertension, and as part of a combination therapy for chronic kidney disease and the prevention of heart failure in high-risk patients with hypertension.
(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job and Unnamalai L in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
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