A Therapy to Reduce Lipoprotein(a) Levels

The research and development community is ever in search of the next statin drug, and a way to reduce lipoprotein(a) levels looks very much like an alternative statin. Statins reduce the amount of cholesterol carried by LDL particles in the bloodstream. Lipoprotein(a) is a carrier of cholesterol, like LDL, and research has shown that high levels correlate with the development of atherosclerotic lesions, as is the case for LDL-cholesterol. That being so, one can't be all that optimistic that a treatment to reduce lipoprotein(a) will actually do much for disease risk. Statins reduce risk of stroke and heart attack resulting from atherosclerosis by, at most, and arguably, 20% or so - levels of cholesterol carried in the bloodstream are not the most important input to the disease process. A quarter of humanity still dies from these conditions in the environment in which everyone who can take statins is taking statins. Statins continue to make a great deal of profit for pharmaceutical companies, however, so developing something that looks very much like a statin? That sounds great to the powers that be. Findings from a phase 1 trial show that a single dose of an experimental therapy, lepodisiran, produced greater than 94% reductions in blood levels of lipoprotein(a), a key driver of heart disease risk, with the results lasting for nearly a year. Lipoprotein(a), often shortened to just Lp(a), is made in the liver and has similarities to LDL, also known as low-density lipop...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs