A recent study shows that patients who take a maximum dose of statin drugs in addition to a twice-yearly injection of the experimental cholesterol-lowering drug, inclisiran, was effective at reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often called bad cholesterol. Results of the study were generated from the ORION-10, a phase 3 placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial.
Learn more about LDL cholesterol:
When increased levels of LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of the arteries, blood cannot pass through efficiently which leads to blockage. This blockage, as a result of hard and narrow capillaries, puts a patient at risk of heart attacks and strokes. "Maintaining low LDL over a sustained period is essential to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke," says R. Scott Wright, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and principal investigator of ORION-10 trial.
Inclisiran is the only siRNA drug that works to lower cholesterol. Developed by the Medicines Company, the drug works to mimic a gene variant and prevent the production of the protein PCSK9, this in turn lowers LDL.
"The data show that inclisiran dosed twice-yearly achieved durable and potent LDL reductions with an excellent safety profile, and no treatment-related liver or kidney side effects," Dr. Wright says. "Twice-yearly administration by a health care professional coincides with typical patient visits, which can help with medication adherence."
Source: Science Daily