STAT+: FDA declines to approve Ultragenyx gene therapy

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox.

Morning! It’s Meghana today, writing about GLP-1s being deployed for addiction, weighing the FDA commissioner’s vision versus reality, and more.

The need-to-know this morning

• AstraZeneca said its experimental hypertension drug, baxdrostat, reduced treatment-resistant blood pressure in a late-stage clinical trial. The drug works by lowering blood pressure in a new way, different from currently available medicines. If approved, AstraZeneca has told investors baxdrostat could become a multibillion-dollar commercial product.

Makary’s big promises at FDA get a closer inspection

In his first 100 days as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Marty Makary has made a handful of splashy announcements — from pledging transparency on rejection letters to floating fast-track vouchers for drugs tied to national health priorities.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…