A new medication called lorundrostat has shown strong potential as a treatment for people with uncontrolled or resistant high blood pressure, according to results from the Launch-HTN trial.
The findings were presented at the 34th European Meeting on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection and represent a major step forward in the treatment of a condition that affects one in three adults worldwide.
Lorundrostat belongs to a new class of drugs called aldosterone synthase inhibitors. These drugs work by blocking the production of aldosterone, a hormone made by the adrenal glands that can increase blood pressure. In people with certain types of hypertension, aldosterone levels are too high, which can lead to damage to the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys over time.
The Launch-HTN trial is the largest Phase III trial of its kind. It tested lorundrostat in a global, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study—meaning that neither the patients nor the researchers knew who was receiving the real drug or the placebo.
This gold-standard trial included a large and diverse group of adults who had failed to reach their target blood pressure despite taking two to five other blood pressure medications.
Dr. Manish Saxena, Clinical Co-Director at Queen Mary University of London’s William Harvey Heart Center and a hypertension specialist at Barts Health NHS Trust, led the trial.
He emphasized the urgency of developing new treatments: “More than 40% of adults with hypertension are not reaching their blood pressure goals with current therapies. This trial answers an important need by testing a novel approach focused on the aldosterone pathway.”
The results were encouraging. People who took lorundrostat 50 mg once a day experienced a systolic blood pressure reduction of 16.9 mmHg after six weeks, compared to those taking a placebo.
By 12 weeks, the reduction increased to 19 mmHg—a 11.7 mmHg greater drop than the placebo group. These numbers reflect meaningful improvements for patients with difficult-to-control blood pressure.
Not only was lorundrostat effective, but it was also found to be safe and well-tolerated by participants. Importantly, patients were able to stay on their existing medications throughout the study, showing that lorundrostat can work alongside standard treatments without requiring major changes in care.
This drug targets a specific problem seen in up to 30% of people with hypertension: a malfunction in the body’s aldosterone system, which leads to overly high hormone levels. By blocking the enzyme CYP11B2, which is responsible for making aldosterone, lorundrostat directly addresses the cause of high blood pressure in these patients.
The Launch-HTN trial used automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurement, which is increasingly seen as a more reliable way to assess blood pressure in clinical settings. This adds to the strength and real-world relevance of the study’s results.
In summary, lorundrostat could become a powerful new option for patients with stubborn high blood pressure. With millions worldwide struggling to manage their condition—even while taking multiple drugs—this twice-daily pill could offer a safer, targeted way to bring blood pressure under control and reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other complications.
The next steps will likely include further regulatory reviews and steps toward making the drug commercially available.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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