A new medication has shown great promise for people with high blood pressure that stays dangerously high even after taking several other medicines.
The Phase III clinical trial, called BaxHTN, found that the drug baxdrostat can significantly reduce blood pressure, offering hope to millions of patients around the world.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about 1.3 billion people globally. In around half of these cases, the condition is either uncontrolled or resistant to treatment.
This puts individuals at a much higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and early death. In the UK alone, about 14 million people are living with hypertension.
The BaxHTN study was led by Professor Bryan Williams from the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, with support from AstraZeneca and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH.
Nearly 800 patients took part in the trial across 214 clinics worldwide. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 in Madrid and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The trial found that, after 12 weeks of taking baxdrostat (either 1 mg or 2 mg once a day), patients’ blood pressure dropped by around 9 to 10 mmHg more than those taking a placebo.
This reduction is large enough to lower the risk of major health problems. About 40% of patients on the drug reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared to fewer than 20% on placebo.
Professor Williams called the results “exciting,” noting that such a drop in systolic blood pressure can lead to much lower risks of heart disease, strokes, and kidney problems.
Baxdrostat works by targeting a hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone helps the kidneys control the balance of salt and water in the body. In some people, the body makes too much aldosterone, which causes the body to hold on to extra salt and water. This raises blood pressure and makes it hard to control.
For many years, scientists have tried to find a way to stop this process, but it has been difficult. Baxdrostat directly blocks the production of aldosterone, which helps bring blood pressure down.
Professor Williams explained that these results represent a big step forward in both treatment and understanding of what causes hard-to-control blood pressure.
He emphasized that even though many people are being treated for hypertension, most don’t have their blood pressure under control, especially since the recommended targets are now lower than in the past.
The trial showed that the effects of baxdrostat continued for up to 32 weeks, and there were no unexpected safety problems.
High blood pressure used to be more common in wealthier Western countries, but now it is rising quickly in Eastern and lower-income nations due to changes in diet and lifestyle. More than half of people with hypertension live in Asia, including 226 million in China and 199 million in India.
Professor Williams concluded that baxdrostat could help up to half a billion people worldwide, including as many as 10 million in the UK, by helping them reach the new, lower targets for healthy blood pressure.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about high blood pressure treatment: ARBs vs. ACE inhibitors and blood pressure response to exercise can predict future heart disease.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about This daily food is very important for blood pressure and heart health and Common blood pressure medication may have harmful side effects.
The study is published in New England Journal of Medicine.
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