Doctors may soon have a new tool to fight high blood pressure, including cases where current medicines fall short. An experimental drug from AstraZeneca, called Baxdrostat, has demonstrated significant effectiveness in lowering blood pressure among patients with resistant hypertension, according to trial results revealed this week.
The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 in Madrid and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. If approved by regulators, Baxdrostat would mark one of the first innovative treatments for hypertension in decades.
The trial enrolled 800 adults whose blood pressure remained high despite taking at least two other medications for four weeks or more. To qualify, participants’ systolic blood pressure readings ranged between 140 and 170 mm Hg. For context, healthy blood pressure is under 120/80 mm Hg, while readings at or above 130/80 typically require medical intervention if lifestyle changes fail.
Participants were divided into three groups: one received 1 milligram of Baxdrostat daily, another took 2 mg, and a third was given a placebo. All continued their existing treatments.
After 12 weeks, results were promising: nearly 40% of patients on Baxdrostat achieved healthy blood pressure levels compared to fewer than 20% in the placebo group. On average, those taking the experimental drug saw their systolic blood pressure fall by 9–10 mm Hg more than those on placebo—a clinically meaningful drop linked to lower cardiovascular risks.
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High blood pressure places excess strain on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia, and other complications. Since heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, new approaches to blood pressure control could have profound public health benefits.
Currently, about half of U.S. adults live with elevated blood pressure, and 1 in 10 suffer from resistant hypertension, meaning their condition does not respond to three or more medications.
While further studies and regulatory reviews are needed, researchers believe Baxdrostat could represent a breakthrough. “This could change how we treat patients who have run out of options,” one cardiologist noted.