News
FOURIER: Evolocumab cuts MACE risk in those with obesity and ASCVD
The PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in individuals with obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), suggests a prespecified post-hoc analysis from the FOURIER trial. While it is known that evolocumab decreases the risk of MACE, the relationship between…
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American College of Cardiology emphasises PCSK9 inhibitor role for PAD in diabetes
A new consensus statement from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) on the management of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in adults with diabetes has highlighted the role of PCSK9 inhibitors and bempedoic acid in lowering the risk of cardiovascular events and adverse limb outcomes. In…
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US FDA approves novel PCSK9 inhibitor lerodalcibep for hypercholesterolaemia
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the third generation PCSK9 inhibitor lerodalcibep-liga (Lerochol) for use in high-risk adults with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Approval for the drug was granted in mid-December for patients with hypercholesterolemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Lerodalcibep is a…
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Study sheds light on how PCSK9 promotes LDLR degradation
The transmembrane protein low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is crucial in removing circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) into the endosomes of a cell, where it is broken down, with LDLR returning to the cell surface. LDLR undergoes multiple such rounds of internalisation and recycling. When PCSK9…
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LDL-C lowering with a PCSK9 inhibitor may cut CV risk in type 1 diabetes
Intensive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering with the PCSK9 inhibitor, evolocumab, markedly reduced cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. The clinical efficacy of evolocumab was assessed in individuals with T1DM enrolled…
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CORALreef Lipids: Positive phase 3 trial results for enlicitide decanoate
The oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate, has shown positive topline results in the phase 3 CORALreef Lipids trial, according to its manufacturer Merck. Enlicitide decanoate, given as a daily pill, achieved all its primary and secondary endpoints in adults with hypercholesterolaemia on moderate and high…
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PCSK9 targeting therapies safe and effective in FH, highlights meta-analysis
Treatments targeting PCSK9 significantly reduce low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and are well-tolerated in both adults and children with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), found a new meta-analysis. The systematic review and analysis, published in the journal Open Heart, included 4,282 adult and paediatric patients from 23…
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FDA broadens evolocumab approval to include increased risk of MACE
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approved use of PCSK9 inhibitor, Repatha (evolocumab), to include adults at increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) because of uncontrolled levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The change, made in August according…
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VICTORION-Difference: Inclisiran effective for LDL-C in high CV risk patients
Inclisiran therapy brought more patients with hypercholesterolaemia at high or very high risk of cardiovascular (CV) events to early and sustained LDL-C goals with fewer adverse muscle symptoms than placebo when given in addition to individualised lipid-lowering treatments, showed a large, multicentre phase IV trial….
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NEWTON-CABG CardioLink 5: Is evolocumab effective in graft vein disease?
Cholesterol-lowering by evolocumab did not reduce graft vein disease in patients in the two years following coronary artery bypass surgery, according to new findings. Results from the NEWTON-CABG CardioLink 5 trial were unveiled by principal investigator Professor Subodh Verma from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto,…
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PCSK9 emerges as a key determinant of site of organ metastasis in pancreatic cancer
The PCSK9 protein determines how pancreatic cancer cells metastasise to different parts of the body. The US study, published in Nature, May 21,1 showed that when pancreatic cancer cells destined for the liver are forced to express the PCSK9 protein, they change direction and head…
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Inclisiran shown to be effective in adolescents with HoFH
Inclisiran was effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adolescents with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH). In addition to standard of care, the phase 3 ORION 13 study, published in Circulation, May 20,1 showed an LDL-C difference of -33.3% LDL-C between patients receiving inclisiran and…
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Study lays ground work for saffron as natural PCSK9 inhibitor
Saffron and its active components crocetin and crocin offer novel natural PCSK9 inhibitors. The study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology,1 showed that crocetin reduced plasma PCSK9 secretion by 39.9%, crocin by 27.9%, and saffron extract by 23.4%. The study found that the active components…
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PCSK9 inhibitors could reduce cardiac remodelling following MI
Early administration of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab significantly reduced residual myocardial inflammation in patients 30 days following acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The randomised study, published online in JACC Basic Transl Sci,1, showed a positive correlation between serum PCSK9 levels and myocardial inflammation, and that levels…
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PCSK9 inhibitors do not increase bleeding events after PCI
PCSK9 inhibitors do not increase the risk of bleeding events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy. The real-world cohort study, published in the International Journal of Cardiology,1 found that patients receiving PCSK9 inhibitors also had a lower risk of other adverse…
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Older ASCVD patients benefit from LDL-C lowering with evolocumab
Early initiation of long-term evolocumab provides older patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) benefits at least as good as those observed in younger patients. The study, published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology,1 February 11, found the number needed to treat to prevent…
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A critical appraisal of PCSK9 inhibitors: PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies versus small interfering RNA
In a review published in Pharmacology & Therapeutics,1 April issue, Professor Alberto Corsini, together with Professors John Chapman and Henry Ginsberg, Co-Chairs of PCSK9 Forum, make a critical appraisal of the efficacies, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of the two classes of PCSK9…
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Evolocumab prevents carotid artery wall thickening in paediatric HeFH
Treatment with evolocumab prevented carotid artery wall thickening in children with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) who had not achieved LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) goals despite maximum tolerated background lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs). The study, published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology,1 12 November, suggests using…
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PCSK9 plays critical role in abdominal aortic aneurysm
Pharmacological inhibition of PCSK9 restricted formation and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in a mouse model of the disease. The study, published in Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biology,1 January 2025, showed that PCSK9 was upregulated in mouse models and also samples taken from patients with…
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Post hoc analysis: alirocumab benefits HeFH and T3HLP patients
Carriers of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) and type III hyperlipoproteinemia (T3HLP) benefit from alirocumab. The post hoc analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial, presented at the AHA 2024 meeting,1showed that major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and lipid reductions for patients with HeFH and T3HLP were…
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