A "game-changing" anti-cholesterol drug called Inclisiran is to be offered to people in England and Wales on the NHS, according to BBC News. Professor Victor Zammit, from Warwick Medical School, comments:

"The introduction of Inclisiran (a PCSK-9 inhibitor) for the lowering of LDL cholesterol is a breakthrough especially for individuals in whom statin treatment has not lowered this ‘bad’ cholesterol sufficiently to prevent strokes and heart attacks. There are also individuals who cannot tolerate the side effects of statins and are otherwise put off from using them to lower their cholesterol.

"Using Inclisiran together with statins provides a ‘belt and braces’ approach to lowering cholesterol: statins promote the formation of LDL-receptors required for clearing ‘bad’ cholesterol from the blood, while PCSK-9 inhibitors prevent the LDL receptor’s breakdown, prolonging its function."

1 September 2021

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