New Cholesterol Pill Slashes Heart Attack & Stroke Risk by 60% | Study
- Maintaining good health requires proactive self-care, including a healthy diet and regular check-ups to monitor often-silent health conditions.
- Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and elevated LDL cholesterol contributes significantly to the buildup of plaque in arteries.
- Current treatment options for patients needing more aggressive cholesterol lowering involve injectable PCSK9 inhibitors, which can be expensive and inconvenient.
New Pill Shows Promise in Lowering Cholesterol, Offering Hope for Heart Disease Prevention
Maintaining good health requires proactive self-care, including a healthy diet and regular check-ups to monitor often-silent health conditions. High cholesterol is one such condition, frequently managed with statins like Lipitor and Crestor, which work by blocking cholesterol production. However, for many individuals, statins alone are insufficient to achieve desired LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels. Now, an experimental oral medication, enlicitide, offers a potentially convenient treatment option for those at risk of heart disease and stroke.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and elevated LDL cholesterol contributes significantly to the buildup of plaque in arteries. This new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and conducted at UT Southwestern Medical Center, offers a glimmer of hope for millions.
Current treatment options for patients needing more aggressive cholesterol lowering involve injectable PCSK9 inhibitors, which can be expensive and inconvenient. The study aimed to address this gap by evaluating the efficacy of a daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor.
The study involved over 2,900 high-risk participants. In a blinded trial, half were assigned to receive a daily dose of enlicitide alongside their standard treatment, while the other half received a placebo. According to Dr. Ann Marie Navar, a cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center and study lead author, “The study population reflects what we see in clinical practice. Even the highest intensity statins are often not enough to get people to their cholesterol goals.”
Participants taking enlicitide experienced a substantial reduction in cholesterol levels, with some seeing a decrease of up to 60% over a six-month period. Dr. Navar noted that while other cholesterol-lowering pills exist, “none come close to the degree of LDL cholesterol lowering that we see with enlicitide.”
How Enlicitide Works and Why It’s Different
Enlicitide is a PCSK9 inhibitor, a class of drugs that prevents the liver from breaking down proteins that remove cholesterol from the blood. By inhibiting PCSK9, the medication allows the liver to clear more LDL cholesterol, thereby lowering levels in the bloodstream. Previous CETP inhibitors faced challenges with safety and efficacy, but enlicitide appears to overcome these hurdles with a promising combination of effectiveness and tolerability.
Unlike injectable PCSK9 inhibitors, enlicitide is administered as a once-daily pill, potentially improving patient adherence and convenience. The drug demonstrates a dual action, lowering both LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a genetically determined lipid particle that has historically been difficult to treat.
Study Details and Next Steps
The research, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025, involved individuals with a prior heart attack or stroke, or those at high risk for such events. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Merck Sharp & Dohme, a subsidiary of Merck, funded the study and is seeking FDA approval for enlicitide, which has been granted priority review status.
However, it’s important to note that the current study does not yet demonstrate whether the observed cholesterol reduction translates into a decreased risk of heart attacks or strokes. To address this, Merck is currently conducting a larger cardiovascular outcomes study involving over 14,000 participants.
While enlicitide is not yet approved for use, it represents a potentially significant advancement in the management of high cholesterol. It’s crucial to remember that maintaining a healthy lifestyle—including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and routine medical check-ups—remains the cornerstone of cardiovascular health.
Further Research: Another promising drug, Obicetrapib, also demonstrates significant cholesterol-lowering effects. This medication, a CETP inhibitor, lowered LDL cholesterol by 32.6% and Lp(a) by 33.5% in a clinical trial, offering another potential avenue for managing cholesterol and reducing heart disease risk.