New daily pill reduces bad cholesterol by 60% in major clinical study

A new daily pill could reduce bad cholesterol levels by 60%, according to a new study.

Enlicitide, which was developed by Merck, lowered « bad » LDL cholesterol by more than half in a global study published this week in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.

The trial, led by Dr. Christie M. Ballantyne of the Texas Heart Institute, spanned 59 medical sites across 17 countries.

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It involved 303 adults who had been diagnosed with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), a genetic condition that elevates LDL cholesterol and raises the risk of early heart disease. 

All participants were already taking other medications or lipid-lowering therapies, but their cholesterol levels remained above target, according to a press release from the researchers.

Researchers randomly assigned participants to receive either 20 mg of Enlicitide once a day or a placebo pill. 

The trial ran for 52 weeks. By week 24, people taking Enlicitide saw their LDL levels plunge by an average of 58%. Those taking the placebo saw virtually no change.

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The difference between groups, nearly 60%, was statistically significant, and the effect held steady through the one-year mark.

After 52 weeks, the Enlicitide group maintained about a 55% reduction, while the placebo group’s cholesterol rose slightly, the release stated.

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Other measures of harmful fats also improved, the researchers found. Non-HDL cholesterol dropped by 52%, apolipoprotein B fell by 48% and lipoprotein(a) lessened by nearly 25%. 

Nearly 97% of participants finished the study, and side effect rates were nearly identical between the two groups. The most common issues were mild and temporary, such as headache or cold-like symptoms, the researchers shared.

HeFH affects about one in 250 people worldwide, and many struggle to control their cholesterol even with intensive therapy, according to the study. 

Current PCSK9-blocking drugs (also called PCSK9 inhibitors) that achieve similar results are injections given every few weeks. Enlicitide could offer a simpler, once-daily oral option.

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Researchers cautioned that the results come with caveats. The study focused on cholesterol numbers and not on whether the pill actually prevents heart attacks, strokes or deaths. Those larger outcome studies are still ongoing.

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The research also only included people with HeFH who were already on other treatments, so it’s unclear how the drug will perform in people with more common types of high cholesterol. 

Also, because the study lasted just a year, long-term safety remains to be proven.

Fox News Digital reached out to Merck for comment.