CardioExchange Archive

April 27th, 2015

More Preliminary Signs That PCSK9 Inhibitors May Improve Outcomes

Larry Husten, PHD

A new analysis of available data from early trials with PCSK9 inhibitors adds to the growing evidence showing that this much-anticipated new class of drugs dramatically lowers LDL cholesterol and offers additional preliminary evidence showing that they are safe and may confer a mortality benefit. But, the authors and other outside experts warn, the outcome […]

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March 15th, 2015

More Information Emerges About the PCSK9 Inhibitors

Larry Husten, PHD

New information emerged today about two new cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been attracting a lot of attention. Data about the PCSK9 inhibitors — evolocumab, under development by Amgen, and alirocumab, under development by Sanofi and Regeneron — were presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Diego and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. […]

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November 17th, 2014

IMPROVE-IT Meets Endpoint and Demonstrates Real But Modest Clinical Benefit for Ezetimibe

Larry Husten, PHD

After all the waiting and all the controversy it turned out to be pretty simple. The IMPROVE-IT trial did what it set out to do and reached its primary endpoint. The benefit wasn’t very big or impressive but it will be enough to put to rest concerns that ezetimibe might have been an expensive placebo […]

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November 12th, 2014

Newly Identified Mutations Act Like a Lifetime of Treatment with Ezetimibe

Larry Husten, PHD

A very large genetic study published in the New England Journal of Medicine offers compelling evidence in support of a central role for LDL cholesterol in coronary heart disease. In a series of studies analyzing blood samples from nearly 100,000 people, Sekar Kathiresan and colleagues identified 15 rare mutations that block the activity of a single gene — […]

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October 26th, 2014

Genetic Study Suggests Possible Causal Role for LDL in Aortic Valve Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

Although LDL is an important risk factor for aortic valve disease, the precise role it plays has been uncertain. Lipid-lowering therapy in people with established aortic valve disease has not been shown to be beneficial. Now, however, a new genetic study published in JAMA suggests that LDL cholesterol may in fact cause an increase in aortic […]

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August 31st, 2014

Preliminary Outcomes Results For PCSK9 Inhibitor

Larry Husten, PHD

Amid a slew of new data demonstrating yet again that PCSK9 inhibitors lower LDL cholesterol—drastically and in a wide variety of different patient populations—data from one trial offers the first suggestion that the drugs may in fact improve cardiovascular outcomes. But the analysis, the authors cautioned, is a post-hoc analysis of a trial neither designed nor […]

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May 3rd, 2013

FDA Approves Combination of Ezetimibe and Atorvastatin

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has approved a new combination drug from Merck for lowering cholesterol. The drug, which will carry the brand name of Liptruzet, is a combination of two previously approved cholesterol-lowering drugs, ezetimibe and atorvastatin. Merck said the new drug (pronounced “LIP-true-zett”) would be commercially available starting next week. Liptruzet will be available as a once-daily […]

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March 9th, 2013

HPS2-THRIVE: A ‘Disappointing But Clear’ Result

Larry Husten, PHD

For more of our ACC.13 coverage of late-breaking clinical trials, interviews with the authors of the most important research, and blogs from our fellows on the most interesting presentations at the meeting, check out our Coverage Headquarters. The results of HPS2-THRIVE were “disappointing but clear,”  said Jane Armitage, who presented the results this morning at the ACC […]

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December 26th, 2012

FDA Approves Lomitapide for Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Larry Husten, PHD

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals said today that the FDA had approved lomitapide (Juxtapid) to help further lower cholesterol in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The approval comes with a box warning about the risk of hepatotoxicity and a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program which will require certification of health care providers and pharmacies before the drug can be […]

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November 12th, 2012

Nonfasting Lipid Testing Gains Growing Acceptance

Larry Husten, PHD

Although fasting before a lipid test has long been recommended, a new study and accompanying commentaries make the case that nonfasting lipid levels are acceptable and may even be superior to fasting levels for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. Investigators at the University of Calgary analyzed data from laboratory tests obtained from more than 200,000 people […]

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