Safety and Efficacy of Bempedoic Acid to Reduce LDL Cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Short-term studies have shown that bempedoic acid, an inhibitor of ATP citrate lyase, reduces levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Data are limited regarding the safety and efficacy of bempedoic acid treatment in long-term studies involving patients with hypercholesterolemia who are receiving guideline-recommended statin therapy. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled trial involving patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or both. Patients had to have an LDL cholesterol level of at least 70 mg per deciliter while they were receiving maximally tolerated statin therapy with or without additional lipid-lowering therapy. (Maximally tolerated statin therapy was defined as the highest intensity statin regimen that a patient was able to maintain, as determined by the investigator.) Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive bempedoic acid or placebo. The primary end point was safety, and the principal secondary end point (principal efficacy end point) was the percentage change in the LDL cholesterol level at week 12 of 52 weeks. RESULTS: The trial involved 2230 patients, of whom 1488 were assigned to receive bempedoic acid and 742 to receive placebo. The mean (±SD) LDL cholesterol level at baseline was 103.2±29.4 mg per deciliter. The incidence of adverse events (1167 of 1487 patients [78.5%] in the bempedoic acid group and 584 of 742 [78.7%] in the placebo group) and serious adverse events (216 patients [14.5%] and 104 [14.0%], respectively) did not differ substantially between the two groups during the intervention period, but the incidence of adverse events leading to discontinuation of the regimen was higher in the bempedoic acid group than in the placebo group (162 patients [10.9%] vs. 53 [7.1%]), as was the incidence of gout (18 patients [1.2%] vs. 2 [0.3%]). At week 12, bempedoic acid reduced the mean LDL cholesterol level by 19.2 mg per deciliter, representing a change of -16.5% from baseline (difference vs. placebo in change from baseline, -18.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -20.0 to -16.1; P<0.001). Safety and efficacy findings were consistent, regardless of the intensity of background statin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this 52-week trial, bempedoic acid added to maximally tolerated statin therapy did not lead to a higher incidence of overall adverse events than placebo and led to significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels. (Funded by Esperion Therapeutics; CLEAR Harmony ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02666664.).

Effect of ETC-1002 on Serum Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Hypercholesterolemic Patients Receiving Statin Therapy.

ETC-1002 is an oral, once-daily medication that inhibits adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase, an enzyme upstream of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, to reduce cholesterol biosynthesis. ETC-1002 monotherapy has demonstrated significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with placebo in phase 2 studies. The objective of this study was to compare the lipid-lowering efficacy of ETC-1002 versus placebo when added to ongoing statin therapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia. This phase 2b, multicenter, double-blind trial (NCT02072161) randomized 134 hypercholesterolemic patients (LDL-C, 115 to 220 mg/dl) on stable background statin therapy to 12 weeks of add-on treatment with ETC-1002 120 mg, ETC-1002 180 mg, or placebo. The primary efficacy end point was the percent change in calculated LDL-C from baseline to week 12. For LDL-C, the least-squares mean percent change ± standard error from baseline to week 12 was significantly greater with ETC-1002 120 mg (-17 ± 4%, p = 0.0055) and ETC-1002 180 mg (-24 ± 4%, p <0.0001) than placebo (-4 ± 4%). ETC-1002 also dose dependently reduced apolipoprotein B by 15% to 17%, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 14% to 17%, total cholesterol by 13% to 15%, and LDL particle number by 17% to 21%. All these reductions in ETC-1002-treated cohorts were significantly greater than those with placebo. Rates of adverse events (AEs), muscle-related AEs, and discontinuations for AEs with ETC-1002 were similar to placebo. In conclusion, ETC-1002 120 mg or 180 mg added to stable statin therapy significantly reduced LDL-C compared to placebo and has a similar tolerability profile.