Bempedosäure to lower cholesterol?

A completely new drug for lowering cholesterol could already be in the near future for patients available. Study published results have already shown that this drug can safely and effectively be used, even if it is taken with commonly prescribed statins.

The scientists from the Imperial College London found in their recent study that a new drug can safely and effectively lower cholesterol. The experts published the results of their study in the English journal “New England Journal of Medicine”.

Statins sometimes have strong side effects

The LDL-cholesterol level in the blood is closely related to heart diseases and strokes. A reduction of this cholesterol can be an important strategy for maintaining cardiovascular health. Currently, the so-called statins as a cholesterol-lowering drug may be prescribed. These are relatively effective, but not without side effects. In many cases, the benefits of the drug do not outweigh possible side effects, some patients are, however, able to statins is safe to take, so that there is an urgent need for new cholesterol-lowering drugs.

What Bempedosäure causes?

Bempedosäure is already for some years in the development. Similar to the commonly prescribed statins, the drug blocks the production of a key enzyme that the body to build up of cholesterol is needed, However, Bempedosäure targets a different enzyme as statins. The new study shows the safety and efficacy of in combination with Statin therapy administered Bempedosäure in over 2,000 patients. The results were promising and no side effects have been observed in the treatment group. It could also be noted that the combination therapy reduces the level of cholesterol, low-density (LDL) significantly, compared with patients who were treated exclusively with statins.

Long-term effects of Bempedosäure?

While in this particular study, the safety and efficacy of Bempedosäure in conjunction with statins has a rating, run, further studies investigating the efficacy of the new drug when it is administered alone. A second, recently published study of the probable long-term effects of Bempedosäure also delivered promising results. In this study, genetic markers were monitored in more than half a Million people, in order to compare the potential effects of the inhibition of the enzyme, to which the Bempedosäure (ATP-citrate). Then, the scientists compared the effects with the effects of the enzyme, which inhibit the statins traditionally. The results suggest that Blocking of ATP-citrate should be over a long period of time as safe and effective as taking statins. Bempedosäure, apparently, can prevent some of the negative muscle-related side effects, which are often associated with the use of statins.

Advantages of Bempedosäure

One of the main advantages of Bempedosäure should not consist in the fact that you caused the of some users of statins have reported side-effects of the muscles since it is absorbed by the liver and an enzyme in its active Form is converted. After the conversion into the active Form of the drug can not leave the liver, so that it can not penetrate into the muscles and therefore, for some patients of considerable advantage might be. “One of the main advantages is that it is not caused by some Statin users reported muscle side effects,” explains the study author Kausik Ray, from Imperial College London in a press release.

When will the new drug is expected to be on the market?

The new drug could possibly be for patients, which is already on statins, tried, and either ineffective or have been assigned under the significant side effects suffered. At the present time, it is still unclear how far the Bempedosäure of the approval and clinical application. The experts want to achieve in this year, approvals in Europe and the USA, but realistically it will probably take at least up to the year 2020, before the new drug to patients around the world. (as)