Cholesterol drug lowers two major heart disease risks in one stroke

Lowering cholesterol has long been the cornerstone of reducing cardiovascular risk, yet not all patients respond to existing therapies. Now, a Monash-led international study has found that an oral cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor offers a more effective option to protect people at high risk of heart attack and stroke.

The BROADWAY phase 3 trial, presented at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress last week, evaluated once-daily obicetrapib in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and/or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). The findings demonstrated a powerful dual action of 32.6% reduction in LDL cholesterol and 33.5% drop in lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] – two key contributors to cardiovascular disease.

“We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don’t get their cholesterol levels low enough, even on the best available treatments,” said lead investigator Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of Monash University’s Victorian Heart Institute and Monash Health’s Victorian Heart Hospital.

“Obicetrapib offers a promising new option – not only did it lower LDL cholesterol by over 30%, but we also saw a reduction in Lp(a), which is much harder to treat and has been linked to increased heart disease risk.”

Initially developed by Amgen, obicetrapib has proven to be the most potent CETP inhibitor in reducing LDL cholesterol. It was later acquired by NewAmsterdam Pharma, co-founded by cardiologist John Kastelein and CEO Dr Michael Davidson, who have since advanced the compound through clinical development.

Earlier CETP inhibitors, including torcetrapib (Pfizer), dalcetrapib (Roche), evacetrapib (Lilly), and anacetrapib (Merck), were ultimately shelved due to safety concerns or limited efficacy.

Many patients enrolled in the BROADWAY trial reached guideline-recommended lipid targets for the first time.

“This could be a valuable tool in the fight against heart disease,” Professor Nicholls added. “It’s convenient, it’s effective, and it may help close the gap for patients who’ve run out of options.”

NewAmsterdam Pharma may extend its commercialisation partnership with Menarini Group to bring this therapy to Australia, offering healthcare professionals a new tool in lipid management for high-risk patients.

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