FDA Approves Non-Statin Drug That Lowers Cholesterol

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — U.S. regulators on Friday approved a new type of cholesterol-lowering drug aimed at millions of people who can’t tolerate — or don’t get enough help from — widely used statin pills like Lipitor and Crestor.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Esperion Therapeutics Inc.’s Nexletol for people genetically predisposed to have sky-high cholesterol and people who have heart disease and need to further lower their bad cholesterol. The daily pill is to be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and the highest statin dose patients can handle, the FDA said.
High LDL, or bad cholesterol, is one of the top risks for heart attacks and other problems. Studies showed that Nexletol could lower LDL by about 25% when taken alone and by an additional 18% when combined with a statin.
“This is a nice alternative” to statins, but those medicines will still be the first choice, said Dr. Christie Ballantyne, Baylor College of Medicine’s cardiology chief. He consults for Esperion and helped test the drug.

Esperion is pleased to announce FDA approval of NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) Tablet. Learn more here https://t.co/z4BWY3hrLf pic.twitter.com/BzwpyMRbTY
— Esperion Inc. (@EsperionInc) February 21, 2020

Millions of people take cheap, generic statins, but the medicines don’t lower LDL cholesterol enough for many patients and others experience side effects such as muscle pain.
Other options include Zetia pills, also sold i...

Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - February 24, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Health News Syndicated CBSN Boston Cholesterol Statins Source Type: news