From manufacturing to technology to people, ZS Pharma is thinking differently about developing therapies to address unmet needs.
ZS Pharma was founded in 2008, became a public company in 2014 and, in December 2015, joined the AstraZeneca Group. We are a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to challenging the status quo in disease areas where therapeutic options have been limited. We are currently focused on using our proprietary ion-trap technology to develop new treatments.
The ZS Pharma team combines deep knowledge and experience with an unparalleled drive to provide innovative new medicines for patients, families and physicians facing serious, difficult-to-treat diseases.
We are developing new options in treating ion imbalances, and are currently executing a robust clinical development program for our first product candidate: ZS-9 for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia, or high serum potassium, results in serious clinical complications in both acute and chronic settings. Even mild hyperkalemia is associated with an increased risk of adverse renal events and increased mortality in patients with chronic illnesses. Causes of hyperkalemia include chronic diseases and lifesaving therapies, such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition (RAASi) therapy. Hyperkalemia occurs frequently in patients with other serious comorbidities, increasing their risk of complications.
We are working toward launching ZS-9 in the U.S. ZS-9 uses new technology that is hypothesized to mimic natural ion channels to make it difficult for ions other than potassium and ammonium to enter its crystalline structure. ZS9 is an insoluble, non-absorbed zirconium silicate designed to preferentially trap potassium ions in order to lower and maintain serum potassium levels.