Effectiveness, Adherence, and Safety of Evolocumab in a Swiss Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to describe patient characteristics, lipid parameters, lipid-lowering drug use, and safety of patients receiving evolocumab in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: We conducted a 1-year multicenter observational study of adults using evolocumab with confirmed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) or at high cardiovascular risk, and elevated LDL-C despite maximally tolerated statin doses. An e-health application optionally supported patient management. The primary outcome was change in lipid parameters over time. The secondary outcomes included evolocumab safety. RESULTS: Of 100 participants, 81% had pre-existing CVD, 71% self-reported statin-related muscle symptoms, 44% received statins. All patients received evolocumab, 65% were PCSK9i pre-treated at baseline. PCSK9i-naïve patients achieved a mean LDL-C reduction of 60% within 3 months of evolocumab treatment, which was maintained thereafter; 74% achieved LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L at least once during observation, 69% attained < 1.4 mmol/L. In PCSK9i pre-treated patients, LDL-C remained stable throughout; 79% and 74% attained < 1.8 mmol/L and < 1.4 mmol/L, respectively, at least once. Goal attainment was higher with any combination of evolocumab, statin, and/or ezetimibe. Overall, 89% self-reported full evolocumab adherence. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were reported in 30% of patients, two serious TEAEs occurred in one patient; three patients discontinued evolocumab because of TEAEs. CONCLUSION: In real-world clinical practice, evolocumab was mainly used in patients with statin intolerance and pre-existing CVD. In this population, adherence to evolocumab and low LDL-C levels were maintained over 1 year, with better LDL-C goal achievement in patients using evolocumab in combination with other lipid-lowering drugs. Safety of evolocumab was similar to that documented in randomized controlled trials.

Evolocumab for Early Reduction of LDL Cholesterol Levels in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes (EVOPACS).

BACKGROUND: Although guidelines recommend in-hospital initiation of high-intensity statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target levels are frequently not attained. Evolocumab, a rapidly acting, potent LDL-C-lowering drug, has not been studied in the acute phase of ACS. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and LDL-C-lowering efficacy of evolocumab initiated during the in-hospital phase of ACS. METHODS: The authors conducted an investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 308 patients hospitalized for ACS with elevated LDL-C levels (≥1.8 mmol/l on high-intensity statin for at least 4 weeks; ≥2.3 mmol/l on low- or moderate-intensity statin; or ≥3.2 mmol/l on no stable dose of statin). Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive subcutaneous evolocumab 420 mg or matching placebo, administered in-hospital and after 4 weeks, on top of atorvastatin 40 mg. The primary endpoint was percentage change in calculated LDL-C from baseline to 8 weeks. RESULTS: Most patients (78.2%) had not been on previous statin treatment. Mean LDL-C levels decreased from 3.61 to 0.79 mmol/l at week 8 in the evolocumab group, and from 3.42 to 2.06 mmol/l in the placebo group; the difference in mean percentage change from baseline was -40.7% (95% confidence interval: -45.2 to -36.2; p < 0.001). LDL-C levels <1.8 mmol/l were achieved at week 8 by 95.7% of patients in the evolocumab group versus 37.6% in the placebo group. Adverse events and centrally adjudicated cardiovascular events were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this first randomized trial assessing a PCSK9 antibody in the very high-risk setting of ACS, evolocumab added to high-intensity statin therapy was well tolerated and resulted in substantial reduction in LDL-C levels, rendering >95% of patients within currently recommended target levels. (EVOlocumab for Early Reduction of LDL-cholesterol Levels in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes [EVOPACS]; NCT03287609).