A new clinical trial led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London has found that giving people with high blood pressure an injection every six months can lead to a significant and lasting reduction in their blood pressure.
The trial results, published in JAMA, suggest this approach could help millions of people better control their condition.
The global study, known as KARDIA-2, involved 663 participants whose high blood pressure was not well managed despite standard treatment. Patients received an injection of a new drug called zilebesiran alongside their regular blood pressure medications.
The results showed that those given zilebesiran achieved greater reductions in blood pressure than those who received standard treatment alone.
High blood pressure affects around one in three adults in the UK. If left untreated, it significantly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Lead UK investigator Dr Manish Saxena, Clinical Co-Director of the William Harvey Clinical Research Centre at Queen Mary University of London, said the results demonstrate both the effectiveness and safety of zilebesiran when used with common first-line blood pressure drugs.
He highlighted the treatment’s novelty—just one injection every six months—offering a long-lasting effect that could improve blood pressure control worldwide.
Zilebesiran is an experimental drug that uses RNA interference technology to lower blood pressure. It works by blocking the production of angiotensinogen, a protein made in the liver that plays a key role in blood pressure regulation. By reducing this protein, blood vessels relax, leading to lower blood pressure. The injection is administered under the skin.
The next stage for zilebesiran is another Phase 2 trial, KARDIA-3, which will test whether it can also help people who have both high blood pressure and established cardiovascular disease, or those at high risk of developing it.
Later this year, the sponsor plans to launch a large global study to assess whether the treatment reduces the number of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular-related deaths.
This study offers a potential breakthrough in hypertension management, especially for patients who struggle to keep their blood pressure under control with daily medications.
A twice-yearly injection could improve patient adherence, reduce complications from uncontrolled blood pressure, and lower the overall burden on healthcare systems. If future studies confirm its safety and ability to reduce major cardiovascular events, zilebesiran could become a game-changing therapy in the fight against one of the world’s leading causes of death.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about Intensive blood pressure treatment for older adults may harm heart and kidneys and What you should know about high blood pressure medications.
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The study is published in JAMA.
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