About 11% of U.S. adults have high cholesterol, raising their risk of heart attack and stroke. Many struggle to lower their LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, with mainstay treatments like statins. So Merck released Lipfendra—a once-daily pill form of an injectable medication that’s been available for years—which helps the body clear more LDL cholesterol by blocking the blood protein PCSK9. According to Dr. Puja Banka, associate vice president of clinical research and global clinical development at Merck, clinical trials show that the pill can lower LDL by about 60%. The FDA approved Lipfendra in July.
