Important week for PCSK9 inhibitors
The Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration has voted in favour of approving two PCSK9 inhibitors - evolocumab and alirocumab.
Earlier the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion for the marketing of evolocumab.
Why are these new LDL-cholesterol lowering drugs so important?
Professor Philip Barter, President of the International Atherosclerosis Society, highlights the importance of PCSK9 inhibitors for patients with a high risk of cardiovascular events, especially those with familial hypercholesterolaemia.
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How will PCSK9 inhibitors be used in practice?
Professor Steven Nicholls, Deputy Director and SAHMRI Heart Foundation Heart Health Theme Leader at the University of Adelaide, Australia, discusses the patients in whom these new treatments will be used initially and speculates on future practice. |
Meet the Editors
Beginning a new era in cholesterol lowering therapy
Professor John Chapman and Professor Henry Ginsberg discuss how these innovative new drugs will shape the future management of patients with elevated LDL-cholesterol who are at high risk of cardiovascular events.
Many heart attack patients have FHAbout one in 12 of the heart attack patients included in a major European survey probably have familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).
New data from EUROASPIRE IV - the European Society of Cardiology survey of secondary prevention of coronary heart disease - reveals that 8.3% of patients who had heart attacks were likely to be suffering from FH.
In younger patients (<50 years) FH was believed to occur in one in five heart attack victims.
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As a result, cardiologists are being urged to consider FH in every younger or middle-aged person who has a coronary event, according to Dr Joost Besseling, one of the authors.
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Read the EUROASPIRE IV report » Urgent message
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Identify children with FH
Start treatment early
Early identification and treatment of children with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) can allow them to achieve a normal lifespan. |
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This is the exciting message of a newly published Position Statement on Paediatric Familial Hypercholesterolaemia presented by a Consensus Panel of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) at the recent ISA Congress in Amsterdam.
Why do we need to treat children with FH?
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