In a bid to offset declining revenues from its cardiovascular and metabolic diseases portfolio, AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire ZS Pharma in an all-cash transaction worth approximately US$2.7 B. The key driver of the deal is ZS Pharma’s lead asset ZS-9, a potassium binder for the treatment of hyperkalaemia that is under US regulatory review. The acquisition gives AstraZeneca a potential blockbuster at a time when its cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor® (rosuvastatin) is facing near-term generic competition. The deal comes only 2 months after Actelion disclosed that it was in preliminary takeover discussions with ZS Pharma.