By Liz Bodin
VP, US Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases (CVRM)
Pioneering science is transforming what's possible for patients. That's because behind every milestone achieved are patients and their families living with interconnected diseases, many of whom have spent years searching for answers, managing challenging conditions, and hoping for new options. Ultimately, that is where science delivers its greatest impact, in how it helps people reach a fuller life.
This is the lens I'm proud to see our team bring to AstraZeneca's US CVRM business every day.
From One Story to Millions
This year, CVRM therapies have reached almost 3 million patients in the US. Each patient journey reminds us that scientific progress reaches people most meaningfully through accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The heart, kidneys and metabolism are closely linked. A person living with one chronic condition may be at risk for another, and the consequences build over time.
That is why we must prioritize a connected approach, rather than treating these diseases in isolation. For me, earlier diagnosis and intervention is more than a clinical ambition. It is a human one. This is the shift we are driving: asking where we can change the trajectory before disease progresses.
Turning Science into Tangible Progress
In cardiovascular, a new uncontrolled hypertension treatment marked a game-changing moment. It is the first new hypertension innovation in over two decades, reducing systolic blood pressure by nearly 10 points. The CDC Foundation's national hypertension control campaign, fueled by our commitment, strengthened awareness and education through evidence-based messaging. With ATI Advisory, we quantified the economic cost of not controling hypertension: $292B annually in avoidable healthcare and workforce productivity costs. Both efforts show what's possible when evidence meets partnership.
Work in transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) builds on the story of patients like Alan, whose experience shapes how this condition is approached. Advancing science helps identify disease sooner and deliver the answers patients deserve. The ATTR patient community forum brings these realities to life by connecting people with similar ATTR experiences to raise awareness, build helpful local resources, and reveal unmet needs.
At the European Society of Cardiology Congress, we presented Phase III program details supporting the development of a new oral small-molecule PCSK9 inhibitor and are looking forward to the trial’s forthcoming results. Together with progress on the PURSUIT Phase IIb trial, we are working to shape a new paradigm in dyslipidemia care.
Stories like Barb's underscore why renal care — and sustained leadership in hyperkalemia management — continues to matter for people living with kidney disease. Building on this momentum, we have a real opportunity to broaden our presence in specialty care and advance the conversation around the shared challenges of kidney and cardiovascular disease.
At the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, we shared Phase II VISTA and SOLSTICE data and committed to an extensive Phase III program as we continue studying potential approaches to weight management and the broader cardiometabolic consequences associated with obesity.
Writing the Next Chapter, Together
Milestones will keep coming, bringing new data, new approvals, and new advances that expand what's possible. What keeps us focused are the people behind every one of them, which are the patients navigating a complex healthcare system and the families walking that journey alongside them.
That is the work that motivates me most: helping shape what's possible for the next patient, the next family, the next generation of care.