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<\/p>\nA groundbreaking oral medication could transform treatment for people battling genetically high cholesterol levels after slashing bad cholesterol by up to 60 per cent in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that makes traditional treatments ineffective.<\/p>\n
The research, published in JAMA on 9 November, offers hope to those whose cholesterol remains dangerously elevated despite taking statins and making lifestyle changes. <\/p>\n
For these patients, existing options have been limited to injectable medications.<\/p>\n
Enlicitide works as a PCSK9 inhibitor, boosting the body’s ability to clear LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream. <\/p>\n
It’s the first drug in this class available as a convenient daily pill rather than an injection.<\/p>\n
The international trial recruited 303 participants from 59 sites across 17 countries, all of whom were already taking statins but still had elevated LDL cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n
Researchers gave 202 participants enlicitide once daily for 52 weeks, while 101 received a placebo.<\/p>\n
After 24 weeks, those taking enlicitide saw their LDL cholesterol plummet by an average of 58.2 per cent. <\/p>\n
Those reluctant to have injections tend to be more consistent in taking a daily dose of pills<\/p>\n
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The placebo group’s levels actually rose by 2.6 per cent.<\/p>\n
By the 52-week mark, the enlicitide group maintained impressive reductions averaging 55.3 per cent. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the placebo group experienced an 8.7 per cent increase in their bad cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n
These dramatic differences highlight enlicitide’s potential for patients who’ve exhausted other treatment options, with benefits extending beyond LDL cholesterol.<\/p>\n
Non-HDL cholesterol dropped by 52.3 per cent in the enlicitide group compared to just 2.1per cent with placebo.<\/p>\n
Apolipoprotein B, which carries bad cholesterol and signals heart disease risk, fell by 48.2 per cent versus 1.8 per cent.<\/p>\n
Even lipoprotein(a), a stubborn genetic risk factor that resists diet and exercise, decreased by 24.7 per cent compared to 1.6 per cent in the placebo group.<\/p>\n
“Individuals reluctant to have injections tend to be more consistent in taking a daily dose of pills. <\/p>\n
“I tend to see an increase of adherence by approximately 20 per cent amongst individuals who switch,” noted medical director at Medical Cert UK, Dr Maria Kn\u00f6bel.<\/p>\n
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Scientists believe the drug could work beyond genetic cases<\/p>\n
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The pill format could make this powerful treatment accessible to many more patients.<\/p>\n
Lead author Dr Ann Marie Navar from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center noted that “daily enlicitide resulted in almost identical changes in LDL, non-HDL, and ApoB to those achieved with the injectable antibodies alirocumab and evolocumab”.<\/p>\n
Cardiologist Dr Yu-Ming Ni believes the drug could work beyond genetic cases.<\/p>\n
“This medication is in the same drug class as other established injectable PCSK9 inhibitors and appears to have a similar overall effect on cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n
“Therefore, I do expect that it has similar efficacy on cholesterol in patients without genetically driven high cholesterol.”<\/p>\n
However, he stressed that longer trials are needed to confirm whether these cholesterol reductions translate into fewer cardiovascular events over time.<\/p>\n