Antibody injection can help cut bad cholesterol by 72 pc

Scientists have found an atypical monoclonal antibody that is capable of lowering the circulation of LDL cholesterol at a significant rate from 40 percent to 72 percent.

The study shows that scientists will get new options for those patients who are resistant to the cholesterol lowering drugs like statins.

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In America, the use of traditional statin therapy is quite common and used by millions of Americans to lower the LDL cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that is responsible for the formation of plaque in the arteries and leading to various heart diseases by suppressing the production of cholesterol in the liver cells and thus causes an increase in the number of LDL receptors on the cell surface. These receptors captures the circulating LDL in the blood and trasfers it to the liver, where it is processed and intoxicated out of the body.

One out of five people having high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is resistant to cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins and for many others the current standard of care is not sufficient to lower cholesterol to the desired level.

A recent research showed that statin therapy stimulates the production of PCSK9, an enzyme that is responsible for the destruction of LDL receptors. The present study tested SAR236553/REGN727, a monoclonal antibody which is capable of binding to PCSK9, and block its effects and prevents the degradation of LDL receptors.

More LDL receptors mean more LDL is brought out of the blood into the liver, and circulating levels of LDL cholesterol decrease.

"We've known for 30 years that lowering LDL cholesterol with statins lowers the risk of heart disease and that the more you can lower LDL cholesterol, the greater reduction in that risk," said James McKenney, PharmD, chief executive officer of National Clinical Research, and the study's lead investigator.

"However, we know in some cases that even the best statin can't get LDL cholesterol as low as it should be."

This multi-center, randomized trial was carried on 183 patients who had an LDL cholesterol reading of 100 mg/dL or higher.

Moreover, these patients had been treated already with atorvastatin for more than six weeks with stable doses of 10, 20 or 40 mg.

The patients were divided into six groups for the study: a placebo control; three groups who received a subcutaneous injection of SAR236553/REGN727 every two weeks (Q2W) at doses of either 50, 100, or 150 mg; and two groups who received an injection of SAR236553/REGN727 at 200 or 300 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W), alternating with placebo shots at two weeks.

The objective of the study was the percentage LDL cholesterol reduction from baseline to after 12 weeks.

Dr. McKenney reported a remarkable dose-response to SAR236553/REGN727 injections. The level of circulating LDL cholesterol was lowered by 40 percent, 64 percent, and 72 percent in patients assigned to 50, 100, or 150 mg Q2W doses, respectively.

Moreover, the percentage decrease in the LDL cholesterol was 43 percent and 48 percent for patients recieving 200 or 300 mg Q4W injections. The placebo group were reported to show a significant decrease of 5 percent in the circulating LDL cholesterol.

"Our LDL cholesterol treatment goals were less than 100 or 70 mg/dL," Dr. McKenney said.

"All of the participants receiving one of our doses met those goals."

"Statins are good medicines and getting a 70 percent reduction on top of them is remarkable," Dr. McKenney added.

-with inputs from ANI