In the United States, a new cholesterol-lowering drug, Lipfendra, has been approved. It is the first tablet in the class of PCSK9 inhibitors, which help the liver remove “bad” cholesterol (LDL) from the blood more effectively.
Until now, the problem was that the effective drugs that block PCSK9 were still injectable. Now this therapy has been moved out of the syringe and into an ordinary pill form. And this is not just a small reduction in LDL: in two large studies, its level fell by about 56–59% compared with placebo over 24 weeks.
The arrival of another approved drug will expand the options for tailoring treatment for high cholesterol. A tablet form may make long-term treatment easier for patients who need to stay on therapy for years. Sometimes changes like these are the most useful in everyday medicine.
