The cure for "very bad" cholesterol

The new drug has reduced the level of dangerous cholesterol by more than 95%

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

Scientists from the USA presented the results of the second phase of clinical trials of the experimental drug olpasiran, which is aimed at destroying the so-called "bad" cholesterol. In high dosages, which turned out to be safe for humans, the drug showed incredibly promising results.

227 men and women with cardiovascular diseases participated in the study of scientists from Brigham and Wymens Hospital. In the second phase, scientists evaluated the effectiveness of the drug olpasiran to reduce the level of lipoprotein (a) — an indicator of "bad" cholesterol, high levels of which indicate the severity of atherosclerotic lesions. The level of lipoprotein (a) in the volunteers was more than 150 nmol/L.

Olpasiran is an mRNA that aims to reduce the synthesis of lipoprotein A in the liver. The drug was administered in four different dosages and the effect was compared with a placebo. Writes about the results EurekAlert.

High doses of olpasiran reduced lipoprotein (a) by more than 95% over 36 weeks compared to placebo. No serious side effects were noted.

"The results provide the necessary basis for conducting the final phase of research," said the author of the work, Target O'Donoghue. According to her, olpasiran gives hope to many patients with high levels of lipoprotein (a), who currently have no effective treatment options.

The article by O'Donoghue et al. Small Interfering RNA to Reduce Lipoprotein(a) in Cardiovascular Disease is published in the New England Journal of Medicine – VM.

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