Why is AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) One of the Best Pharma Stocks to Invest In?

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is one of the best pharma stocks to invest in. AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) received a rating update from JPMorgan on December 8, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to 16,000 GBP from 14,000 GBP while maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. The rating update came as part of rating adjustments by the firm in the European pharma group as part of its 2026 outlook.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) announced on December 2 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) for baxdrostat to treat adult patients with hard-to-control (uncontrolled or treatment-resistant) hypertension as an add-on to other antihypertensive medicines when they fail to provide a suitable lowering of blood pressure. Management expects the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date during fiscal Q2 2026 after the use of a Priority Review voucher.

Baxdrostat is a potential first-in-class, highly selective aldosterone synthase inhibitor (ASI) specialised to lower blood pressure through the inhibition of the production of aldosterone, which is a key hormone responsible for raising blood pressure and the risk of kidney and heart problems.

The NDA is based on data from the BaxHTN Phase III trial, presented during a Hot Line session at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Baxdrostat exhibited general tolerability with a safety profile consistent with its mechanism of action, with no unanticipated safety findings and mostly mild adverse effects.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is a biopharmaceutical company that explores, develops, manufactures, and commercializes prescription medicines. It supplies its products and services to specialty and primary care physicians.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.