New Drug Offers Hope for Hypertension Control and Kidney Protection in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
PHILADELPHIA – A newly studied medication, baxdrostat, demonstrates important promise in managing tough-to-control high blood pressure and potentially slowing the progression of kidney disease in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to results published September 6, 2025. The findings, released alongside multiple industry announcements, represent a potential “game changer” for a patient population historically excluded from robust drug trials and facing disproportionately high rates of hypertension.
Historically, individuals with CKD have often been excluded from clinical studies evaluating hypertension treatments.This new research directly addresses that gap, showing that baxdrostat was not only well-tolerated by CKD patients but also delivered substantial benefits in both blood pressure reduction and reduction of albuminuria – a key marker of kidney damage. “Patients with CKD were historically frequently enough excluded from drug studies,” said an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology in the Perelman School of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in a news release. “It is particularly reassuring to know that patients with CKD, who have very high rates of hypertension and elevated renin-angiotensin aldosterone activity, were represented in their own study, tolerated the medication well, and had both blood pressure and albuminuric benefits. This medication class could be a game changer in the management of hypertension in this patient group.”
Baxdrostat functions by inhibiting aldosterone synthase, an enzyme that produces aldosterone, a hormone that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance. The Phase 3 BaxHTN trial (NCT05432167) met both its primary and all secondary endpoints, demonstrating significant reductions in blood pressure compared to placebo.Full Phase 3 results, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology on September 6, 2025, detailed the efficacy and safety of baxdrostat in participants with CKD and uncontrolled hypertension (dwyer J, et al.).
The randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial involved a substantial number of patients and showed consistent benefits across subgroups.AstraZeneca, the drug’s manufacturer, announced the positive trial results on July 14, 2025, and the American Heart Association highlighted the findings in a news release on September 6, 2025. Further analysis published by Pharmacy Times on September 8,2025,confirmed the reduced blood pressure observed in the trial (Halpern L.).
