What to Know About the New Cholesterol Pill and How it Compares to Statins
How does it compare to statins? Should you take it? And how much does it cost?
Patients who need to lower their cholesterol will soon have a powerful new option.
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new pill called enlicitide that can lower cholesterol levels substantially more than statins alone. The drug, which was developed by Merck and will be sold under the brand name Lipfendra, is expected to go on the market in the coming weeks.
How does the new pill compare to other cholesterol treatments?
Lipfendra adds to the list of treatments that can lower low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, a form of cholesterol that, at high levels, increases the risk of heart disease. Studies over many decades have shown that drugs that safely lower LDL can protect people from heart disease.
The most commonly prescribed LDL lowering drugs are statins, which inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver. They have been used for decades and are safe and cheap, with list prices often around $5 to $25 a month. Depending on the statin and the dose, they can lower LDL levels by around 30 to 50 percent.
