It’s a new hope for millions.
A new investigational drug may offer hope for individuals struggling with treatment-resistant high blood pressure, according to findings from a recent clinical trial. The medication, lorundrostat, was shown to significantly reduce systolic blood pressure—more so than a placebo—in early-stage research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Systolic blood pressure, the top number in a reading, measures the pressure in the arteries during heartbeats. In the study, participants taking lorundrostat saw their systolic pressure drop by about 15 points, compared to only a 7-point reduction in those receiving a placebo. Dr. Michael Wilkinson, the study’s lead author and a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, noted that these results are particularly encouraging given that most participants had previously failed to control their blood pressure with standard medications.
Lorundrostat targets the hormone aldosterone, which is thought to play a role in persistent hypertension. By suppressing aldosterone production, the drug offers a novel approach to managing high blood pressure in individuals whose condition has not responded to traditional therapies. Wilkinson explained that imbalanced aldosterone levels are often overlooked in cases of treatment-resistant hypertension.
The trial involved 285 adults with elevated blood pressure despite already taking two to five antihypertensive medications. Participants were randomly assigned to either lorundrostat or a placebo group, with two-thirds receiving the drug for a 12-week period. The drug demonstrated a greater blood pressure reduction than placebo, indicating its potential as a new option for difficult-to-treat hypertension.
Based on the success of this Phase II trial, researchers plan to move forward with a larger Phase III study. If future results confirm the drug’s safety and effectiveness, lorundrostat could eventually be submitted for FDA approval. Wilkinson expressed optimism that the medication might soon become a valuable tool in the ongoing effort to control high blood pressure and reduce associated health risks.
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