A new class of oral cholesterol-lowering drugs has recently been developed. They could help patients who cannot take statins because of their side effects, especially muscular ones.
To treat cholesterol today, statins, from the lipid-lowering family, are prescribed to millions of patients. They are able to reduce cholesterol levels very effectively. But they can have adverse effects of several types: muscle damagehepatitis, or even generate a risk of diabetes.
A study has just been conducted to test the efficacy and safety of bempedoic acid, an oral medication, supposed to prevent the body from creating too much cholesterol. This drug is not yet approved in Europe, but this study – the largest ever conducted on bempedoic acid – could be a game-changer. The results were published on March 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Bempedoic acid tested on more than 2000 patients
Like statins, bempedoic acid works by blocking a key enzyme used by the body to make cholesterol, in this case an enzyme called ATP-citrate lyase. To test this drug, the research was carried out on 2,230 patients from five different countries (UK, Germany, Poland, Canada and USA) with high cholesterol levels and taking cholesterol-lowering medication. They were randomly selected to receive either the new treatment or a placebo for one year. The trial also included a small proportion of patients with increased risk of heart attack and stroke due to disease.
Very encouraging results
After three months of treatment, researchers found that bempedoic acid reduced cholesterol levels by 18.1% on average, compared to the placebo group. The treatment also proved to be well tolerated by patients. Professor Ray, who led the study, explains: “One of the main advantages of bempedoic acid is the lack of muscle side effects (reported by some statin users) because it is absorbed by the liver. Once converted to its active form, the drug cannot leave the liver, so it cannot enter the muscles.It could be an option for patients who cannot tolerate statins.“
A new study is now looking to analyze the long-term effects. The American pharmaceutical company behind the drug Esperion is now seeking a license to market the drug this year in Europe and the United States.
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