US scientists have discovered a new daily pill that lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL) much more strongly than statins, paving the way for a potentially revolutionary treatment against heart attacks and strokes.
In a large international trial, the drug reduced LDL levels by more than 57 percent in patients already taking standard treatments — the largest reduction ever recorded for an oral drug. Experts believe the pill could change the way we treat millions of people who can’t control their cholesterol or who can’t tolerate statins.
The drug, called enlicitide, was developed after decades of research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. It works by helping the liver more efficiently clear harmful cholesterol from the blood. The key innovation is that enlicitide targets a metabolic pathway that until now could only be treated with injections, making it the first effective oral pill of its kind.
In addition to lowering LDL cholesterol, the drug also improved other markers of blood fats linked to heart disease. Equally important, patients did not experience an increase in the typical side effects of statins, such as muscle pain, liver problems or an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Ann Marie Navar, a cardiologist and lead author of the study, noted that fewer than half of patients with cardiovascular disease currently reach LDL targets. Such a powerful oral therapy could significantly improve the prevention of heart attacks and strokes on a population scale, she said.
Although statins are widely available and can lower LDL by 20 to 60 percent, about half of patients do not achieve safe levels. A major reason is that 25–50 percent of them discontinue statins within the first year, often due to muscle pain and other discomfort.
High LDL cholesterol significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, and without effective long-term treatment, this risk remains high even in people who feel well.
Enlicitide works by binding to a protein called PCSK9, which in many people with high cholesterol prevents the liver from removing LDL from the blood. By blocking this protein, the drug allows the liver to continue clearing cholesterol. Unlike statins, it does not interfere with the production of cholesterol in the liver, which explains why it is expected to have fewer side effects.
The study included more than 2,900 adults with heart disease or at high risk for it who, despite standard treatment, still had high LDL. According to the researchers, these are the largest reductions ever achieved with an oral drug since the discovery of statins.
Another study is already underway to confirm whether these strong cholesterol reductions actually translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.
Heart disease affects around 128 million Americans and causes over 800,000 strokes each year. In the UK, around 7.6 million people live with heart disease, with nearly 100,000 strokes a year – figures that experts believe could be significantly reduced with more effective cholesterol treatments. /GazetaExpress/
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