Major trial indicates potential of novel hypertension drug

New clinical data suggest potential for the first targeted aldosterone synthase inhibitor to treat uncontrolled or resistant hypertension.

Launch-HTN trial is the largest Phase III clinical trial of a novel drug for hypertension. The findings showed that lorundrostat enabled a sustained reduction in blood pressure across a large and diverse population of 1,083 adult patients. Prior to trialling the new therapy, participants had failed to achieve their blood pressure goal despite being on two to five antihypertensive medicines.

A once-daily dose of the small molecule lorundrostat 50mg enabled a 16.9 mmHg reduction of systolic blood pressure at Week 6, as well as a 19 mmHg reduction at Week 12, the data showed.

Addressing unmet need in hypertension treatment with aldosterone inhibition

“Despite available treatments, more than 40 percent of adults with hypertension worldwide are not reaching their blood pressure goal. There’s a major need to explore novel therapies for hypertension and the Launch-HTN trial addressed this need,” shared Dr Manish Saxena, Clinical Co-Director of Queen Mary University of London’s William Harvey Heart Centre and Hypertension Specialist at Barts Health NHS Trust, is the study’s lead investigator. 

Since high aldosterone levels can cause hypertension, lorundrostat lowers these levels by inhibiting CYP11B2, the enzyme responsible for aldosterone production in the adrenal glands, the researchers explained. The treatment is being developed by Mineralys Therapeutics.

Findings from the Phase III trial were presented at the 2025 European Meeting on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection.

Developing the treatment landscape

Separately, clinical trial data released in September 2024 indicated potential for another anti-hypertensive drug in individuals with uncontrolled hypertension.

The oral combination pill GMRx2, containing telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide at a quarter, half or standard doses, demonstrated rates of blood pressure control of over 80 percent in a one-month period. This is “impressive,” Professor Dike Ojji, Head of the Cardiovascular Research Unit at the University of Abuja, Nigeria and study principal investigator remarked following the announcement of the results.