To replace statins
New drug reduces cholesterol by 65%
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
The effectiveness and safety of treatment have already been confirmed by two clinical studies, and now these results open up new opportunities for controlling the level of "bad" cholesterol in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Currently, statins are prescribed to patients to reduce cholesterol levels, but they must be taken constantly and the risks of side effects from long-term therapy are quite high. Now scientists have presented the results of testing a new drug MK-0616 — an oral inhibitor of the PCSK9 protein, which has shown safety and high efficacy in clinical trials.
Until now, PCSK9 inhibitors have only been available as injections. MK-0616 is the first experimental drug available in tablets and reduces the level of low—density lipoproteins, according to the website of the American Heart Association.
The first study involved 60 healthy men aged 18 to 60 years who received MK-0616 once in dosages from 10 to 300 mg. It turned out that in all cases, the therapy reduced the level of PCSK9 by more than 90%.
The second study brought together 40 men and women aged 18 to 65 who had already taken statins to control cholesterol levels in the blood for at least three months.
The tested dosages of 10 and 20 mg resulted in a 65% decrease in cholesterol levels over two weeks of taking the medication.
In the placebo group, cholesterol levels decreased by less than 5% on average. "These results are very encouraging, although additional studies are needed to confirm the results, given the limited clinical experience with MK-0616 so far," commented the author of the work, Douglas Jones.
New research is especially important, given the regular appearance of information about new risks from taking statins. For example, earlier scientists from the United States showed that statin therapy increases the risk of dementia by more than half. Meanwhile, the complete absence of any treatment significantly increases the level of cholesterol in the blood and contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
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