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The FDA Approves a New Pill to Slash Cholesterol Levels
The FDA approved Merck's enlicitide, a new pill that lowers cholesterol by inhibiting the PCSK9 protein.
What: Enlicitide will retail for $315 per 30-day supply, targeting patients who require cholesterol reduction beyond what current statin treatments can provide.
Why it matters: The approval of an oral PCSK9 inhibitor represents a significant shift from injectable biologics to more accessible pharmaceutical delivery for cardiovascular health.
Decoder
- PCSK9: A protein that regulates the number of LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells; inhibiting it helps the body clear 'bad' cholesterol from the blood.
Original article
The FDA has approved a pill that can lower cholesterol levels far beyond what can be achieved with statins. Made by Merck, enlicitide works by inhibiting a protein known as PCSK9. Its list price is $315 for a 30-day supply, and it will be available in a few weeks. Similar injectable drugs have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths by 20% in high-risk people - Merck is now conducting studies to see if its pill has the same effect.
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