A significant new treatment has been introduced to tackle high cholesterol levels and the related heart health risks. In recent trials, the medication enlicitide decanoate showed the ability to decrease ‘bad’ cholesterol by nearly 60 percent.
Researchers from around the world conducted a randomized clinical trial with participants suffering from a hereditary condition that leads to extremely high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), which is considered the ‘bad’ cholesterol.
“Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) affects about 1 in 250 people and is characterized by high LDL-C levels from birth,” noted the researchers in their published study.
Related: Drugs That Lower Cholesterol May Also Reduce Dementia Risk, Says Huge New Study
In total, 293 individuals with HeFH were enlisted, all of whom were already on cholesterol-lowering statins that hadn’t achieved the desired results.
Participants taking the daily enlicitide decanoate pill experienced an average LDL-C reduction of 58.2 percent after 24 weeks. Conversely, the group receiving a placebo actually saw a slight increase in LDL-C levels.
“For adults with HeFH, enlicitide is an effective and well-tolerated treatment to lower LDL-C,” the authors stated.
Additionally, the side effects experienced were minimal and similar across both the treatment and placebo groups, with the drug’s advantages remaining stable throughout the 52-week trial. Key cholesterol indicators linked to heart health also decreased in those on treatment.
Enlicitide decanoate functions as a PCSK9 inhibitor, meaning it hampers the effectiveness of PCSK9, a protein that can hinder the liver’s ability to remove LDL-C, which leads to its accumulation. In simpler terms, the treatment helps the liver perform its cholesterol-clearing function more effectively.
While there are other PCSK9 inhibitors available, they require injections. Patients usually prefer pills, and this trial saw 98 percent of participants successfully adhere to their medication regimen.
“The adherence to both the once-daily oral treatment and the fasting guidelines for dosing was notably high in both groups,” the research team concluded.
Excessive LDL-C levels pose a widespread issue for millions globally, not just those with HeFH. This condition primarily leads to dangerous fatty buildup in the arteries, which can restrict blood flow and affect how much blood reaches vital organs like the heart and brain, thus increasing the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers plan to investigate whether lowering LDL-C could significantly impact the risk of heart attacks and strokes and explore broader testing for the drug. Nevertheless, for this specific group of individuals, there appears to be a new method for reducing LDL-C to healthier levels.
Related: Eating Eggs Can Actually Lower Bad Cholesterol, New Study Says
While the drug awaits regulatory approval for prescription use, the promising outcomes from this phase 3 trial mark a vital step forward.
“Without timely intervention to reduce LDL-C levels,” the authors caution, “individuals with HeFH face heightened risks of early cardiovascular diseases due to prolonged exposure to high LDL-C levels.”
This research has been published in JAMA.
