Cholesterol drug fails to improve heart health: study

An experimental drug that greatly increases levels of “good” cholesterol has no effect on heart health, a comprehensive clinical trial found, leaving researchers shocked and disappointed, reports AFP.
It is also a blow to patients who were hoping for an alternative because they cannot or will not take statins, which can cut low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol.
The study involving more than 12,000 patients at high risk for serious cardiovascular problems found that the drug evacetrapib had no benefits, according to research presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago.
Manufacturer Eli Lilly stopped the trial in October when the drug was found to be ineffective. But now experts have given a comprehensive explanation of what happened.
Two other drugs in the same class as evacetrapib, known as CETP inhibitors and designed to raise levels of HDL cholesterol—high-density lipoprotein, the “good” type—have also failed, presenting experts with a quandary.
‘Disappointed and surprised’
“We have a paradox: here we’ve got an agent that more than doubles the levels of good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol and yet has no effect on clinical events,” said lead author Professor Stephen Nicholls. “We were disappointed and surprised by the results,” added Nicholls, of The University of Adelaide in Australia and cardiologist at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
On average, patients taking evacetrapib daily for at least 18 months lowered their LDL cholesterol by 37 percent and increased their HDL cholesterol—high-density lipoprotein, the “good” type—by 130 percent compared with patients taking a placebo.
However, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the primary “endpoint” of the research—including the amount of time until cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or coronary artery bypass surgery.

 

Cholesterol drug fails to improve heart health: study

An experimental drug that greatly increases levels of good cholesterol has no effect on heart health, a comprehensive clinical trial found, leaving researchers shocked and disappointed, reports AFP. It is also a blow to patients who were hoping for an alternative because they cannot or will not take statins, which can cut low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol. The study involving more than 12,000 patients at high risk for serious cardiovascular problems found that the drug evacetrapib had no benefits, according to research presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago. Manufacturer Eli Lilly stopped the trial in October when the drug was found to be ineffective. But now experts have given a comprehensive explanation of what happened. Two other drugs in the same class as evacetrapib, known as CETP inhibitors and designed to raise levels of HDL cholesterolhigh-density lipoprotein, the good typehave also failed, presenting experts with a quandary. Disappointed and surprised We have a paradox: here weve got an agent that more than doubles the levels of good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol and yet has no effect on clinical events, said lead author Professor Stephen Nicholls. We were disappointed and surprised by the results, added Nicholls, of The University of Adelaide in Australia and cardiologist at Royal Adelaide Hospital. On average, patients taking evacetrapib daily for at least 18 months lowered their LDL cholesterol by 37 percent and increased their HDL cholesterolhigh-density lipoprotein, the good typeby 130 percent compared with patients taking a placebo. However, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the primary endpoint of the researchincluding the amount of time until cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or coronary artery bypass surgery.