Experimental Pill Slashes "Bad" Cholesterol by 60%
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
A breakthrough in cardiovascular medicine was announced this week as researchers revealed that an experimental daily pill called enlicitide slashed "bad" cholesterol levels by up to 60%. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could offer a life-changing alternative for millions of patients who struggle to reach their health goals using current treatments.
The phase three clinical trial, led by Dr. Ann Marie Navar of UT Southwestern Medical Center, involved over 2,900 patients at high risk for heart disease. While statins have long been the gold standard for lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, many patients cannot reach recommended levels even with high doses.
"These reductions in LDL cholesterol are the most we have ever achieved with an oral drug by far since the development of statins," stated Dr. Navar. The trial showed that enlicitide not only lowered LDL but also significantly reduced other harmful blood lipids over a year-long period.
Enlicitide works by blocking a liver protein called PCSK9, which normally prevents the body from clearing cholesterol from the bloodstream. While effective injectable drugs that target PCSK9 already exist, they are often underutilized because patients dislike needles and the treatment is complex to prescribe. This new oral medication offers the same level of efficacy—roughly a 60% reduction—in a much simpler pill format.
Despite the excitement, researchers noted a few conditions for the drug's success. Enlicitide must be taken on an empty stomach to remain effective. Additionally, while the pill dramatically lowers cholesterol, a larger study of 14,000 patients is currently underway to prove that this reduction directly leads to fewer heart attacks and strokes.
The drugmaker Merck, which sponsored the study, is now moving toward FDA approval. The FDA has already placed enlicitide in a program for ultra-fast review, potentially bringing this new option to the public sooner than expected.
For the millions of Americans living with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, this "experimental pill" represents the potential to prevent life-threatening cardiac events on a population level.
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Keywords: "Bad" Cholesterol
"Bad" Cholesterol
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