AstraZeneca's sizable $1.3 billion investment in CinCor Pharmaceuticals gains justification with a positive phase 3 trial of baxdrostat, an aldosterone synthase inhibitor. Conducted in 796 patients with uncontrolled hypertension over 12 weeks, the trial demonstrated statistically significant reductions in sitting systolic blood pressure and met multiple secondary endpoints including resistant hypertension subgroups. The drug showed a favorable safety and tolerability profile across dosing regimens. These data validate AstraZeneca’s strategic entry into the cardiovascular pipeline with a novel mechanism targeting aldosterone dysregulation, addressing a major unmet need with limited innovation in recent decades.