STAT+: Merck\u2019s pill to reduce cholesterol on top of statins matches results from injectables
\n \t
\n
<\/BR>
\n
\n \t
\n
<\/BR><\/p>\n
NEW ORLEANS \u2014 A pill designed to further lower cholesterol in people already on statins but at risk of a serious cardiovascular event \u2014 their first or a recurrence \u2014 reduced LDL cholesterol by up to 60%, a new late-stage trial presented here Saturday has found. Two-thirds of patients cut their cholesterol by at least half.<\/p>\n
The trial fulfills a longtime goal of Merck: to make a pill that achieves LDL cholesterol reductions on par with those obtained with injected monoclonal antibodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Enlicitide, Merck\u2019s oral, once-daily PCSK9 inhibitor, was tested against a placebo in a Phase 3 clinical trial that enrolled 2,900 people with high levels of LDL, or \u201cbad,\u201d cholesterol. The participants had experienced or were at risk of a major cardiovascular problem because of predispositions such as excess weight, obesity, or diabetes. The list of serious conditions included coronary heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke as well as peripheral artery disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n