News
Update from FOURIER: Evolocumab provides benefit in patients with prior PCI
In this latest analysis from FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk) (1), evolocumab treatment was associated with significant clinical benefit in patients with prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), who are at high residual risk for multiple types of…
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First data from global homozygous FH registry
News from the Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolaemia International Clinical Collaboration (HICC) registry, a unique global registry of homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) patients, highlighted the poor management of this severe condition, especially among less affluent countries (1). FH is an inherited disorder characterised by elevated LDL cholesterol…
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ODYSSEY OUTCOMES analysis targets heart failure
A recent post hoc analysis from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES did not suggest benefit from treatment with alirocumab in heart failure patients (1). The role of statin treatment in patients with heart failure is much debated. Individual randomized controlled trials with statins have been inconclusive, although treatment…
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Long-term evolocumab in people living with HIV
Follow-up data from the BEIJERINCK study show that treatment with evolocumab for up to 1 year was effective in HIV individuals with dyslipidaemia (1). HIV is considered a risk-enhancing factor due to the concomitant presence of underlying infection (chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and metabolic abnormalities…
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Introducing another PCSK9 inhibitor – recaticimab
A recent report highlights therapeutic potential for recaticimab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting PCSK9, with LDL cholesterol reductions ranging from 50-60%, when added to statin therapy (1). Recaticimab (SHR-1209) is the latest PCSK9 monoclonal antibody which has shown efficacy in early clinical trials in healthy…
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Inclisiran available in the USA from early January 2022
Hot off the Press: Inclisiran available in the USA from early January 2022 In an ad hoc announcement (pursuant to Art. 53 LR), the US Food and Drugs Administration approved the use of inclisiran, the siRNA therapy for hypercholesterolaemia. Inclisiran is the first and only…
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More insights from ORION
News from AHA Scientific Sessions 2021 Baseline glycaemic status or body mass index (BMI) did not impact the efficacy of inclisiran, according to two post hoc analyses of the ORION trials. The first poster presentation reported findings from a post hoc analysis of the ORION-10…
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Long-term evinacumab in homozygous FH
News from AHA Scientific Sessions 2021 Evinacumab was the focus of two presentations in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH, inherited high cholesterol). Homozygous FH is a rare genetic lipid disorder, which is characterized by markedly elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels from birth and…
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Combination alirocumab-evinacumab in homozygous FH
News from AHA Scientific Sessions 2021 Combination treatment with alirocumab plus the angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) inhibitor evinacumab, on top of lipid lowering therapy, reduced LDL cholesterol levels by more than 60%, according to a post hoc analysis presented at AHA Scientific Sessions. This report analysed…
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MK-0616: Hope for an oral PCSK9 inhibitor?
News from AHA Scientific Sessions 2021 A novel oral PCSK9 inhibitor, MK-0616, showed substantial reduction in LDL cholesterol levels and was generally well tolerated, according to early trial data. Current PCSK9-directed therapies are undoubtedly effective in lowering LDL cholesterol, against a background of statin-ezetimibe therapy….
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Lipid news from the poster sessions
News from ESC Congress 2021 (Virtual) How common is statin intolerance? The latest findings from a worldwide systematic review and meta-analysis including over 4 million patients indicates a low prevalence of statin intolerance, especially when assessed objectively using recognized international criteria. In this report, the…
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PCSK9-NATURE vindicates targeting LDL cholesterol reduction earlier rather than later
News from ESC Congress 2021 (Virtual) Earlier reduction in LDL cholesterol provides greater lifelong cardiovascular benefit, according to results of PCSK9-NATURE (NATUrally Randomized ‘target’ trial Evaluating a yearly vaccine-like strategy to lower LDL by inhibiting PCSK9 on the lifetime risk of major coronary events), presented…
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Inclisiran effective in patients with polyvascular and cerebrovascular disease
News from ESC Congress 2021 (Virtual). The ESC Congress 2021 featured news from the ORION trials, with subgroup analyses evaluating the efficacy of inclisiran in patients with polyvascular disease (PVD) or cerebrovascular disease. PVD is a particularly malignant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) associated with an…
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UK NICE approves use of inclisiran: a gamechanger for patients and the NHS
The siRNA inclisiran is approved by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in primary care in England. Inclisiran (Leqvio®), given as a twice-yearly injection, is recommended for people with primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia who have had a previous…
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HUYGENS reinforces the importance of intensive lipid lowering after ACS
News from ESC Congress 2021 (Virtual). Lowering LDL cholesterol indisputably reduces cardiovascular events (1). The landmark PCSK9 inhibitor trials demonstrated that incremental lowering of LDL cholesterol against a background of intense statin therapy further reduced cardiovascular events, with no apparent threshold for clinical benefit from…
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Two Lancet studies make the case for treating high LDL cholesterol in the ‘healthy’ elderly
In the primary prevention setting, individuals aged 75 years or older with elevated LDL cholesterol are at higher absolute cardiovascular risk than those who are younger. These people would gain from lipid lowering treatment, which is as efficacious as in younger age groups. These are…
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News from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES: Lipoprotein(a) lowering is an independent contributor to total cardiovascular event reduction with alirocumab
Lipoprotein(a) lowering contributed to total cardiovascular event reduction in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients independent of the effects of alirocumab on LDL cholesterol, according to this analysis of ODYSSEY OUTCOMES. The ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial previously reported that lowering lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] with alirocumab reduced the risk…
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LDL lipidomics: are bioactive lipids biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk?
This report addressed two key questions. Can the bioactive lipid cargo differentiate LDL subclasses, and thus potential atherogenicity? And if so, what is the effect of statin therapy? The human plasma lipidome is composed of many molecular lipid species, showing diverse physicochemical and biological properties….
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Evolocumab with statin/ezetimibe combination may be cost-effective in MI patients: Swedish analysis
An analysis from the Swedish perspective concludes that treatment with the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab on top of statin and ezetimibe may be cost-effective in MI patients. While the PCSK9 inhibitors are undoubtedly highly efficacious in lowering LDL cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular events in high and…
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New FOURIER analysis supports aggressive LDL lowering in patients with a recent MI
In this latest FOURIER analysis, add-on evolocumab treatment in patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI) produced 3-fold greater absolute reduction in cardiovascular risk. These findings confirm 2018 US guideline recommendations for adding a PCSK9 inhibitor in very high-risk patients with elevated LDL cholesterol (≥70…
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