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News: The FDA has approved the first once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor, to lower LDL cholesterol in adults with high cholesterol and certain inherited cholesterol disorders.
About Lipfendra
- Lipfendra is a once-daily oral tablet and is notable as the first oral medication to block PCSK9, a target previously addressed primarily through injectable therapies.
- Note: PCSK9 is a protein that reduces the liver’s ability to clear LDL or bad cholesterol from the blood.
- Who it’s for: It is prescribed for adults with high cholesterol, including those with a genetic condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).
- How it works: It works by blocking the action of a specific protein in the body called PCSK9.
- Normally, the PCSK9 protein makes it harder for your liver to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, from your blood.
- By blocking this protein, Lipfendra (enlicitide) allows your liver to remove more LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream.
- As a result of this process, the medication helps to lower your overall cholesterol levels.
- How it’s used: It is taken once per day by mouth and should be used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise.
- It is indicated in patients whose LDL cholesterol cannot be reduced sufficiently by lifestyle measures and standard drugs alone or in whom the cardiovascular risk is high
- Common Side Effects in HeFH: For people with genetic high cholesterol (HeFH), the most common side effects are diarrhea and dizziness.
