RADNOR, PA — Mineralys Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLYS) will present Phase 3 data this month examining whether its experimental hypertension drug lorundrostat reduced both blood pressure and albuminuria in patients with early-to-moderate chronic kidney disease, extending the drug’s development into a major complication of hypertension.
The analysis from the Launch-HTN trial will be presented at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2026, scheduled for Oct. 21-25 in Denver.
The oral presentation will examine blood-pressure and albuminuria reductions among Launch-HTN participants with stages 1 through 3 chronic kidney disease. Albuminuria, the presence of elevated albumin in urine, is an indicator of kidney damage.
Launch-HTN was a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study involving adults whose blood pressure remained uncontrolled despite treatment with two to five antihypertensive medications.
Participants received lorundrostat 50 mg once daily, 50 mg with the option to increase to 100 mg after six weeks under prespecified criteria, or placebo. The trial’s primary endpoint measured the change in systolic blood pressure after six weeks.
The kidney analysis broadens the clinical assessment of lorundrostat beyond blood-pressure reduction as Mineralys evaluates the role of excess aldosterone in conditions associated with hypertension.
Lorundrostat is an oral aldosterone synthase inhibitor designed to reduce production of the hormone by blocking CYP11B2. The drug has demonstrated reductions of 40% to 70% in plasma aldosterone concentrations among participants with hypertension, according to Mineralys.
Excess aldosterone can contribute to sodium retention, vascular inflammation and fibrosis, mechanisms associated with both elevated blood pressure and kidney injury.
The overlap between hypertension and chronic kidney disease represents a potentially significant patient population. About 14% of U.S. adults, or approximately 37 million people, are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, while roughly 21% of adults with high blood pressure have the condition.
Kidney disease and hypertension can also reinforce each other: sustained high blood pressure can damage kidney function, while declining kidney function can make blood pressure more difficult to control. Patients with both conditions face increased cardiovascular and mortality risks.
Mineralys is developing lorundrostat for uncontrolled and resistant hypertension as well as related conditions including chronic kidney disease and obstructive sleep apnea.
The company has completed six late-stage clinical trials of lorundrostat. Its development program includes the Phase 3 Launch-HTN trial and Phase 2 Advance-HTN trial.
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