Astrazeneca acquires all outstanding ZS Pharma shares

Astrazeneca has completed its acquisition of ZS Pharma, with the added services boosting its cardiovascular and metabolic disease portfolio. 

The transaction gives the business access to to the potassium-binding compound ZS-9 (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate). This drug is currently under review as a potential best-in-class treatment for hyperkalemia, a condition linked with increased mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes and chronic heart failure. 

The drug is currently under review in the US, while a submission in Europe is also progressing. Once on the market, sales of ZS-9 are expected to exceed one billion dollars per year. 

It is expected that the acquisition will see sales generated from 2016, becoming accretive to core earnings from 2018.