Emerging Lipid-Lowering Therapies in Secondary Prevention

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe primary purpose of this article was to review the next-generation lipid-lowering therapies that are under current development and clinical testing. We reviewed the mechanism of action of these drugs and how they act on different pathways of lipid metabolism. Additionally, we aimed to present data from clinical trials evaluating clinical outcomes, efficacy, and safety of these novel agents. Lastly, we sought to provide recommendations for clinical practice and to comment on the cost-benefit analyses of such drugs.Recent FindingsWe evaluated the following lipid-lowering agents as they pertain to secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD): ezetimibe, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin (PCSK) type 9 inhibitors, cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors, and eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester. The two novel therapies currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and endorsed by the latest ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines include ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors. Although other drug classes have shown promising preliminary results, clinical trials evaluating cardiovascular outcomes are ongoing.SummaryPatients with known ASCVD are at risk for recurrent ischemic events. Lipid-lowering therapies are an integral part of secondary prevention measures in such patients. There has been an upsurge in development of newer generation lipid-lowering therapies which have shown excellent results in preclinical studies. When ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research