Heart attack and stroke risk could drop with experimental drug, study finds

A new daily pill could provide an easier, more convenient way to lower cholesterol and reduce heart attack and stroke risk.

The experimental medication, called Obicetrapib, underwent a Phase 3 clinical trial at Monash University in Australia.

The trial included more than 2,500 people averaging 65 years of age. All had either been diagnosed with heart disease or had genetically high cholesterol, according to a university press release. 

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All participants were receiving “maximum tolerated doses” of cholesterol-lowering therapy.

One group received Obicetrapib and another group took a placebo, while still maintaining their existing cholesterol drugs. 

After 12 weeks, the participants taking the new drug showed a 32.6% reduction in LDL cholesterol and a 33.5% drop in lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], the release stated.

The findings were presented last month at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress in the U.K. and were also published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

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“We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don’t get their cholesterol levels low enough, even on the best available treatments,” said study lead Professor Stephen Nicholls, director of Monash University’s Victorian Heart Institute and Monash Health’s Victorian Heart Hospital, in the release.

“We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don’t get their cholesterol levels low enough, even on the best available treatments.”

“Obicetrapib offers a promising new option — not only did it lower LDL cholesterol by over 30%, but we also saw a reduction in Lp(a), which is much harder to treat and has been linked to increased heart disease risk.”

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is sometimes called “bad cholesterol,” is associated with negative health effects when present in high amounts.

LDL can build up in the blood vessels and increase heart attack and stroke risk, the researchers cautioned.

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a protein that is known to greatly increase the chances of a heart attack when it’s present in high levels in the blood.

Unlike LDL, Lp(a) is an inherited risk factor that can’t be modified with healthy behaviors or medications.

Obicetrapib was found to be “well-tolerated” by the participants, the researchers noted. 

“This could be a valuable tool in the fight against heart disease,” Nicholls added. “It’s convenient, it’s effective, and it may help close the gap for patients who’ve run out of options.”

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The study — which was funded by NewAmsterdam Pharma, a developer of Obicetrapib that is based in the Netherlands — did have some limitations, the researchers noted.

For example, the participants were not chosen based on high Lp(a), which means the study did not determine how the drug impacted those with elevated levels of the protein.

Additionally, the study assessed changes in LDL levels, but did not measure actual heart attack or stroke outcomes.

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More studies are needed to follow patients for longer time periods and to include more diverse cohorts, the researchers acknowledged.

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for additional comment.