Hyperkalemia drug Lokelma approved in the EU

Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) yesterday announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Lokelma (formerly ZS-9, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate) for the treatment of adults with hyperkalemia, which is a serious condition characterized by elevated potassium levels in the blood associated with cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases.

Lokelma is a highly-selective, oral potassium-removing agent. The approval is supported by data from three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and one open-label trial, where patients with hyperkalemia were treated for up to 12 months. In these trials, for patients receiving Lokelma the median time to achieving normal potassium levels in the blood was 2.2 hours, with 98% achieving normal levels within 48 hours from baseline. Lokelma also demonstrated sustained potassium control for up to one year.

The drug was being developed by ZS Pharma, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca following its $2.7 billion acquisition in late 2015.