New blood pressure drug approved by UAE hailed a 'breakthrough'

Doctors have described a new hypertension medication approved for use in the UAE as a “breakthrough” in treatment for the condition. The UAE has become the first country in the world to approve Baxfendy, credited with controlling hypertension or high blood pressure even in patients for whom other medications have failed to deal with the condition. The green light from the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) comes amid concern over the increasing prevalence of hypertension, which can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other adverse effects. “Approving this treatment is yet another significant step towards enabling advanced medical solutions that precisely target disease pathways, particularly in cases that do not respond to traditional options, while ensuring uninterrupted access for patients,” Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, EDE director general, said in a statement. “This breakthrough offers an important new option for patients whose hypertension remains dangerously elevated despite multiple medications,” he said. “With response rates ranging from 40 to 70 per cent in patients previously unresponsive to other therapies, Baxfendy is expected to become a significant advancement in cardiovascular care.” Boosting patient care He described the drug as offering “a major shift in hypertension treatment” because it attacks the disease at its hormonal source rather than simply counteracting its effects. Other blood pressure medications have typically relaxed blood vessels, slowed the heart or blocked aldosterone receptors after the hormone had already been produced. “In contrast, this new aldosterone synthase inhibitor prevents aldosterone formation itself,” he said. “Its high selectivity is designed to minimise unwanted hormonal interference while enabling more precise blood pressure control. “This targeted approach could open a new pathway in cardiovascular and kidney protection, particularly for patients with resistant hypertension who remain at high risk despite standard therapy.” A growing concern A 2025 study in the Journal of Hypertension found that 35.2 per cent of Emiratis analysed in Abu Dhabi two years earlier had high blood pressure, compared to 24.5 per cent around a decade earlier. The research warned that the prevalence of hypertension in Abu Dhabi was “high and increasing”. A household survey in Dubai in 2019 that looked at more than 2,500 adults found that 38 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women had high blood pressure. Maintaining an active lifestyle can help address high blood pressure. Photo: PA Info Research on students at the University of Sharjah published in 2021 found that almost one in five had “early hypertension”, which was often linked to a lack of physical activity. Researchers said young people should exercise more to reduce the risks. Hypertension is a problem across the Gulf region, with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman having prevalence rates higher than the UAE’s, one study reported. “The UAE’s approval of Baxfendy marks a significant step forward in expanding treatment options for hypertension and reflects strong confidence in the scientific evidence supporting the therapy. We look forward to improving outcomes for patients,” Sameh El Fangary, Gulf country president at AstraZeneca, said in a statement. Dr Bharat Pankhania, an independent public health doctor in the UK, said that controlling aldosterone was “another attempt to modulate our own hormones, which then modulates blood pressure”. “It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. He added, however, that it is preferable for people to control their blood pressure through lifestyle changes. “It’s really important to control your blood pressure by yourself,” he said. “It’s well known that if you keep your weight down, you reduce your salt intake, and exercise, that maintains and controls blood pressure without the need for medication.” In a statement released in December, AstraZeneca, the drug company behind the new drug, said that baxdrostat, the substance branded as Baxfendy, achieved “statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systolic blood pressure in patients with resistant or uncontrolled hypertension”. AstraZeneca said at the time that the drug had “been accepted for priority review” by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for adults whose other hypertension medications had failed to get a grip on the condition. The company said that 1.4 billion people around the world have hypertension, and that in the United States, blood pressure is not under control in about half of patients on multiple medications. Baxdrostat was found to achieve statistically significant reductions in blood pressure even in patients who are also on other hypertension drugs. Adverse effects from the drug are said to typically be mild.