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ODYSSEY FH and patient unmet needs
Less than 1% of people with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), the commonest genetic disorder in the world are diagnosed. As FH patients have significantly elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) their consequent risk of cardiovascular death is greatly increased. Therefore, the results of the ODYSSEY…
read more »ODYSSEY FHI FHII
Fewer than 80% of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) patients achieved an LDL-C level of
read more »Targeting LDL: Is lower better and is it safe?
Professors Evan Stein and Derick Raal discuss this hot topic in this latest review
read more »ACC 2014: Bococizumab: Phase II data in statin-treated patients with hypercholesterolaemia
Bococizumab (RN316/PF-04950615) is a novel humanised PCSK9 monoclonal antibody. This 24-week, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated LDL-C lowering effects of bococizumab, administered every 2 weeks or monthly (i.e. 4 weeks) in statin-treated patients aged ≥18 yrs with hypercholesterolaemia (LDL-C ≥80 mg/dL or 2.1 mmol/L)….
read more »ODYSSEY trials at ESC Congress Hotline
ESC Congress 2014: Lipids Hotline: ODYSSEY TRIALS Prof Alberto Zambon, University of Padua, Italy discusses the four ODYSSEY trials with the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab presented at ESC Congress Hotline Sunday. Addition of a new investigational agent – Alirocumab – to high doses of statins result…
read more »PCSK9 inhibition reduces atherosclerosis development
Exciting results from an animal study show that a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9, alirocumab, reduces atherosclerosis development. This study used an experimental model of dyslipidaemia and atherosclerosis (APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice) fed a Western-type diet. The mice were treated with alirocumab (3 or 10 mg/kg, weekly subcutaneous…
read more »Body weight does not strongly influence PCSK9 levels
read more »ODYSSEY MONO shows alirocumab 75 mg every 2 weeks is effective for LDL-C and PCSK9 lowering
There is consistent evidence that plasma PCSK9 levels correlate with LDL-C levels.1 This report from the ODYSSEY Mono study investigated the relationship between LDL-C, free PCSK9 and alirocumab serum concentrations. About ODYSSEY Mono ODYSSEY MONO is a Phase III randomised, double-blind study comparing the efficacy…
read more »Lowering LDL-C : at what level would this impact the benefit vs. risk ratio?
Emeritus Research Professor, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Canada Potent inhibitors of pro-protein convertase-subtilisin-kexin-9 (PCSK9) have the capacity to reduce plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to unprecedentedly low levels, especially if combined with statins. This discovery raises several important questions; how low should…
read more »Implications from TESLA and early TAUSSIG studies with evolocumab
Results of clinical trials of the investigational therapy – evolocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor will potentially change care of patients at a high risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks), by reducing their very high low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The Forum talks to Professor Gerald…
read more »ACC 2014 Latebreaker: GAUSS-2: Evolocumab addresses unmet needs in statin intolerance
Muscle-related symptoms (often referred to as myopathy or myalgia) are the main side effect consistently associated with statins, affecting about 5-10% of patients in clinical trials, but up to 20% of patients in the real-world clinical setting. Statin intolerance due to muscle symptoms is the…
read more »Future prospects for improved dyslipidaemia management
read more »FH issues in low to middle income regions
Despite the availability of statins, treatment of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a significant issue with a high unmet need in a middle-income country, according to Dr Dirk Blom of Cape Town, South Africa. As a result, new novel therapies are urgently needed.
read more »Rationale for TESLA and results
Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) can be significantly reduced in patients with a serious genetic disorder – homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) – when a PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab is added to statins and other lipid-lowering medications. Professor Frederick Raal explains the results of the TESLA study.
read more »PROFICIO pooled analysis: benefit with evolocumab on LDL and other atherogenic lipoproteins
In the largest assessment of a PCSK9 monoclonal antibody therapy to date, pooled analysis from 4 phase II trials (>1000 patients treated with evolocumab) showed beneficial effects on atherogenic lipoproteins beyond LDL cholesterol. This pooled analysis confirms the benefits of evolocumab treatment among a patient…
read more »Does PCSK9 inhibition on top of statin therapy offer the possibility of further reducing plaque burden?
Stephen J Nicholls MBBS PhD South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Australia Technical advances in arterial wall imaging have enabled the visualization of the full burden of atherosclerotic plaque. When applied in serial imaging studies of anatomically matched arterial segments, it…
read more »Overlap between HoFH and severe FH and implications for evolocumab
The implications of the overlap between homozygous hypercholesterolaemia and severe familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) – two genetic disorders characterised by very high levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – should be considered when selecting treatment. Professor Frederick Raal discusses the issue.
read more »ACC 2014 Latebreaker: LAPLACE-2: Evolocumab effective in patients on high and moderate-intensity statins
The recent ACC/AHA guidelines have focused on the intensity of statin therapy for lowering LDL-C. Consequently, the LAPLACE-2 (Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Assessment With PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibody Inhibition Combined With Statin Therapy – 2) phase III trial assessed the efficacy of evolocumab in patients with hypercholesterolaemia…
read more »Canadian perspective on the 2013 ACC-AHA guidelines on the treatment of blood cholesterol
Professor Robert A. Hegele Western University, London, ON Canada N6A 5B7 email: [email protected] Shortly after publication of the 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines on the treatment of blood cholesterol (1), the authors of the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS)…
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