Methods of Using Aldosterone Synthase Inhibitors Lowering Blood Pressure by Switching Off a Hormone at Its Source

This patent covers methods of using a drug that blocks the body’s production of aldosterone, a hormone that raises blood pressure, to treat hypertension and a related condition called primary aldosteronism. It comes from CinCor Pharma, Inc., the company behind the aldosterone synthase inhibitor baxdrostat, which was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2023.

The Problem

High blood pressure is one of the most common drivers of heart, kidney, and blood vessel disease, and many patients stay above target even on several medicines. A major culprit is aldosterone, the main salt-retaining hormone in the body and a key part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that regulates fluid balance. Many people with hypertension have inappropriately high aldosterone levels that promote damage to the heart, kidneys, and arteries. Existing drugs lower aldosterone’s effects only indirectly, so blocking the enzyme that makes it, aldosterone synthase, is an attractive target. The catch is that this enzyme is closely related to the one that makes cortisol, a stress hormone the body needs, so a useful drug has to hit one without disturbing the other. An earlier inhibitor failed in trials for exactly this reason.

What This Invention Does

The patent provides methods of inhibiting human aldosterone synthase, treating hypertension, or treating primary aldosteronism by giving a patient an effective amount of a specific compound the applicant describes as a highly potent, selective, and competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. Because the compound is selective, it is designed to lower aldosterone without meaningfully suppressing cortisol, avoiding the side effects that come from blocking the closely related cortisol-making enzyme. In practice this means a clinician can reduce aldosterone at its source to bring blood pressure down and to limit the organ damage that elevated aldosterone causes. The filing covers the methods of use for the named patient groups rather than the chemical itself.

Key Features

• Source-level action. The method blocks aldosterone synthase, stopping the hormone before it is made rather than countering its effects later.
• Selective design. The compound is described as selective for aldosterone synthase over the closely related cortisol-making enzyme, reducing unwanted side effects.
• Two target conditions. The methods cover both hypertension and primary aldosteronism.
• Organ protection. By cutting aldosterone levels, the approach aims to limit damage to the heart, kidneys, and arteries.
• Defined dosing. The claims center on giving an effective amount of the named compound to a patient in need.

Who Is Behind It

The applicant is CinCor Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular and kidney disease, now part of AstraZeneca following a 2023 acquisition. CinCor developed baxdrostat, a selective aldosterone synthase inhibitor that has since progressed through late-stage hypertension trials. The named inventors are Mary Bond, Brian Murphy, and Catherine Pearce. This filing is a divisional application from an earlier related Australian application.

Why It Matters

Resistant high blood pressure affects a large group of patients who remain at risk despite treatment, and a drug that selectively lowers aldosterone offers a new way to help them. By targeting the enzyme directly while sparing cortisol, the approach addresses the safety problem that held back earlier attempts. Securing the methods of use in Australia supports the company’s clinical and commercial activity in the local market for what could become a new class of blood pressure treatment.

Related Concepts

• Aldosterone – the hormone whose production the drug blocks.
• Aldosterone synthase – the enzyme the inhibitor targets.
• Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system – the hormone system that controls blood pressure and fluid balance.
• Primary aldosteronism – a condition of excess aldosterone that the method also treats.
• Mineralocorticoid receptor – the receptor through which aldosterone acts on the body.

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AU 2026201954 was published in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 2 April 2026 and is open for public inspection. Patent applications represent inventions that are sought to be protected and do not necessarily reflect commercially available products.