CVRM news and stories
Unpacking the RAAS pathway and the role of aldosterone
Disease UnderstandingEarly intervention key to driving sustainability in cardiorenal care
Article
Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM)
Improving and saving lives for the millions of patients living with CVRM diseases.
Home / Our therapy areas / Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM)
Our commitment to advancing CVRM treatment
The impacts of CVRM diseases on people, society and our planet are immense and growing, yet they remain underdiagnosed, undertreated and their interconnections under-recognised.1-7 These conditions affect hundreds of millions of people around the world; we estimate that one in three people with a CVRM disease are living with two or more of these chronic diseases.8
Our ambition is to enhance care to improve outcomes for the millions of people who are living with the complexities of CVRM diseases, to intervene early to protect vital organs, slow or stop disease progression, and one day even cure these often debilitating, progressive and life-threatening conditions.1
Through understanding the interconnections of these conditions, where a condition in one organ system can negatively impact another, we are able to we’re able to extend the use of our existing medicines and build one of the world’s broadest, deepest and strongest CVRM pipelines.9 Today we estimate that one in three people with CVRM diseases are living with two or more of these chronic conditions.8
Our approach focuses on investing in innovative small molecules, drug combinations, nucleotide-based treatments, and advanced biologics. We are pioneering new approaches to clinical development to deliver the next wave of life-changing medicines. By 2032, we aim to be leading the world in CVRM therapies, helping to change the course and reach of medical practice.
How many people are living with CVRM diseases?
100s of millions
of people globally live with CVRM diseases1
The top seven causes of death globally
will include CV disease, CKD, and diabetes by 2040.12
Two or more
of these conditions are expected to be present in the majority of patients.8,13,14
40%–50%
of patients with heart failure have chronic kidney disease11
Our R&D approach
Scientific research is advancing our understanding of how CVRM diseases are interconnected. We are investing in a portfolio of next-generation therapeutics which will address multiple risk factors and tackle the underlying drivers of disease across cardiorenal and cardiometabolic diseases to improve health outcomes.
By combining pioneering science, digital technologies, big data and AI with the skills and experience of talented people, our pipeline goes beyond traditional small molecules, monoclonal antibodies and peptides, to include nucleotide modalities such as antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA, and novel gene and cell therapies that have the potential to regenerate vital organs.
At the same time, we’re working with world-leading academics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), biotech and other industry partners, healthcare professionals, patients and policymakers to improve detection and diagnosis, streamline clinical trials, widen access, and get our medicines to more people faster.
Collaboration in CVRM care
We are proud to be working with healthcare professionals, patients, governments and policy makers to improve access to healthcare, and remove barriers to diagnosis and optimal treatment. Our goal is to fundamentally change how CVRM diseases are detected, diagnosed and treated to accelerate medical practice change and make a difference for patients.
ACT on CKD
ACT (Accelerate Change Together) on chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a programme by AstraZeneca to transform kidney health through partnerships aimed at reducing the proportion of patients progressing to kidney failure by 20% by 2025.
ACT on HF
At AstraZeneca, we believe we play a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of HF and driving better patient outcomes. Through global collaborative initiatives, our ambition is to reduce the burden of HF on patients, healthcare systems and society.
Benevolent AI
As part of our approach to building knowledge from the masses of data to better understand disease biology, we have collaborated with BenevolentAI. In this collaboration, we are combining our disease area expertise and large, diverse datasets with BenevolentAI’s leading artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to build knowledge graphs for HF, CKD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Healthy Heart Africa
Our Healthy Heart Africa programme is committed to tackling hypertension and the increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Africa. Since launching in Kenya in 2014, we have conducted over 11 million blood pressure screenings, identified over two million elevated readings, trained over 5,800 healthcare workers, and activated over 700 healthcare facilities. In support of the United Nations targets to reduce the risk of premature death from NCDs, we aspire to reach 10 million people with elevated blood pressure across Africa by 2025.
Make the Change for Kidney Health
Make the Change for Kidney Health brings together patient organisations, medical experts and industry to call on governments and policymakers to recognise chronic kidney disease (CKD) as an urgent global health priority and implement patient-centred and evidence-based policies that enable earlier detection, diagnosis and immediate access to care and recommended treatments. By doing this we aim to bring the best possible outcomes for patients, healthcare systems, caregivers, the economy and the planet. This campaign is co-created with the Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health as well as funded and produced by AstraZeneca.
Our people
Built on an impressive legacy in CVRM, we are uniquely positioned to build a healthier and longer future for people with CVRM diseases. Our team of over 1,000 people spans more than 23 functions including early and late R&D, medical and commercial.
Our employees are accomplished and experienced scientists, researchers, clinicians, and healthcare and commercial professionals dedicated to advancing novel science and driving practice change to benefit patients with CVRM diseases.
The CVRM team is led by:
Join our team
Join and help us address CVRM diseases. Our teams are based across the globe, with core hubs in Cambridge, Gaithersburg, Wilmington and Gothenburg. We’re proud to foster a culture of constant exploration, questioning and challenging to find ways to do things differently, and to make a positive difference in patients' lives.
Our medicines
We cannot provide detailed information about our prescription medicines on this website, in compliance with regulations. Our medicines are approved in individual countries for specific uses and the information we provide for patients is governed by local regulations. In some cases, healthcare professionals and patients can visit local AstraZeneca websites to find out more about our medicines. Please note that in some countries we are not allowed to provide very much, or sometimes any, information on our prescription medicines so you should seek alternative trustworthy sources. Always ask a healthcare professional for advice about medicines.
Our pipeline for CVRM
With more than 25 therapies and therapy combinations in our early-to-late stage pipeline, we seek to bring real science and development to combatting life-threatening conditions. Our first-class scientific research today is setting the stage for our pioneering approach in the fields of disease regression and organ regeneration, putting us a step closer to making science fiction a reality.
Phase III/LCM Projects: refers to assets that are pivotal in Phase II/III, or that have been submitted for regulatory approval, and may include assets that are now launched in one or more major markets (removed when launched in all applicable major markets).
References
1. Vos T, et al. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020;396(10258):1204-22
2. Sarnak MJ, et al. Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Artery Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;74(14):1823-38.
3. Tourki B, et al. Heart Failure Syndrome With Preserved Ejection Fraction Is a Metabolic Cluster of Non-resolving Inflammation in Obesity. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021;8:695952.
4. Rangaswami J, et al. Cardiorenal Syndrome: Classification, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2019;139(16):e840-e78.
5. Vogel B, et al. The Lancet women and cardiovascular disease Commission: reducing the global burden by 2030. Lancet. 2021;397(10292):2385-438.
6. Carpio E , et al. Hypertension and cardiovascular risk factor management in a multi-ethnic cohort of adults with CKD: a cross sectional study in general practice. J Nephrol. 2022;35(3):901-10
7. Virani SS, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139-e596.
8. AstraZeneca Data on File. REF-200649
9. AstraZeneca [Internet]. Our pipeline. [cited 2023 May 25]. Available from: http://70gl.ecole-arts.com/our-therapy-areas/pipeline.html
10. Iglay K, Hannachi H, Joseph Howie P, et al. Prevalence and co-prevalence of comorbidities among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Curr Med Res Opin. Jul 2016;32(7):1243-52. doi:10.1185/03007995.2016.1168291
11. Vijay K, et al. Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease: Challenges and Opportunities. Cardiorenal Med. (2022) 12 (1): 1–10.
12. Foreman KJ, et al. Lancet 2018;392:2052–2090
13. Einarson TR, et al. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2018;17:83
14. Mak KH, et al. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2022;28:1795–1806