AstraZeneca to acquire CinCor Pharma to strengthen cardiorenal pipeline
AstraZeneca has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CinCor Pharma, a US-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on developing novel treatments for resistant and uncontrolled hypertension as well as chronic kidney disease.
Key highlights:
- The acquisition allows AstraZeneca to access global rights to baxdrostat, a novel aldosterone synthase inhibitor in development for blood pressure lowering.
- Excess levels of aldosterone in the body are associated with hypertension and cardiorenal diseases.
- The opportunity also brings the potential for combination with Farxiga and complements AstraZeneca’s strategy to provide added benefit across cardiorenal diseases, where there is a high unmet medical need.
The acquisition will bolster AstraZeneca’s cardiorenal pipeline by adding CinCor’s candidate drug, baxdrostat (CIN-107), an aldosterone synthase inhibitor (ASI) for blood pressure lowering in treatment-resistant hypertension.
Baxdrostat represents a potentially leading next-generation ASI as it is highly selective for aldosterone synthase and spares the cortisol pathway in humans. The opportunity also brings the potential for combination with Farxiga and complements AstraZeneca’s strategy to provide added benefit across cardiorenal diseases, where there is a high unmet medical need.
In clinical trials, baxdrostat was observed to significantly lower aldosterone levels without affecting cortisol levels, across a wide range of doses. In patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, a key focus area, baxdrostat met the primary endpoint in the BrigHTN Phase II trial showing a statistically significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) after a 12-week treatment period. CinCor holds the exclusive, worldwide licence to baxdrostat, which will remain in place following the transaction.
Mene Pangalos, executive vice president BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “Acquiring CinCor supports our commitment to cardiorenal disease and further strengthens our pipeline with baxdrostat. Excess levels of aldosterone are associated with hypertension and several cardiorenal diseases, including chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease and being able to effectively reduce this would offer a much-needed treatment option for these patients.”
Marc de Garidel, CEO CinCor, said: “We are excited about the proposed acquisition of CinCor Pharma by AstraZeneca as we believe it offers the prospect of accelerating the development timeline and expanding the breadth of benefits patients with cardiorenal diseases might obtain from baxdrostat, if approved. CinCor is committed to ensuring a smooth transition of the development responsibilities to AstraZeneca once the acquisition is consummated. Thank you to all who have played, and will continue to play, essential roles in developing and evaluating baxdrostat as a potential novel treatment for cardiorenal diseases.”
As part of the transaction, AstraZeneca will acquire the cash and marketable securities on CinCor’s balance sheet, which totalled approximately $522m as of 30 September 2022.
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023.