Evolocumab

Two elderly patients (a 76-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman), who had been previously diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (at 58 and 48 years of age, respectively) underwent long-term treatment with oral therapy and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis. As their LDL cholesterol levels remained high (>150 mg/dL and >120 mg/dL, respectively) and their familial hypercholesterolemia was complicated with angina pectoris, we added evolocumab to their prescription. Thereafter, their LDL cholesterol levels decreased rapidly, and the patients were successfully weaned from LDL apheresis...

Statin intolerance is usually defined as the inability of a patient to tolerate statin-treatment due to muscle-related complaints. While randomised trials show that these complaints occure with similar frequency in patients receiving placebo, namely in up to ~5% of the subjects, data from registries as well as clinical experience indicate a much higher frequency of up to ~30%. The lack of standard definition or of a diagnostic marker of statin intolerance confounds the problem. The diagnosis remains subjective based on the symptoms the patient reports...

Within this review we look at whether the potential provided by proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition for prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease matches the excitement generated. Two fully human monoclonal antibodies to PCSK9 are currently licenced for clinical use both in the USA and the European Union: evolocumab and alirocumab. These reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by over 50% across a range of populations and were generally found to have a safety profile comparable with placebo...

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in pharmacotherapy of lipid disorders, many dyslipidemic patients do not attain sufficient lipid lowering to mitigate risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Several classes of novel lipid-lowering agents are being evaluated to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is effective in acutely lowering the plasma concentrations of atherogenic lipoproteins including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), and novel lipid-lowering drugs may dampen the lipid rebound effect of LA, with the possibility that LA frequency may be decreased, in some cases even be discontinued...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The recent advent of a highly efficacious class of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering agents, the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, has transformed dyslipidaemia management in patients with cardiovascular disease as well as those with familial hypercholesterolemia. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent positive results of the landmark Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk cardiovascular outcome trial with evolocumab as an add-on to statin therapy demonstrate further reduction of cardiovascular events...

Background Familial hypercholesterolemia is the elective clinical condition that deserves the maximal personalisation in lipid-lowering therapy, especially in the presence of statin intolerance. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors represent a promising approach to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Methods We enrolled 18 patients (mean age 62 ± 8 years, 72% men) affected by heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease, with a history of statin intolerance assigned to PCSK9 inhibitors...

INTRODUCTION: The findings of many new cardiology clinical trials over the last year have been published or presented at major international meetings. This paper aims to describe and place in context a summary of the key clinical trials in cardiology presented between January and December 2016. METHODS: The authors reviewed clinical trials presented at major cardiology conferences during 2016 including the American College of Cardiology (ACC), European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EuroPCR), European Society of Cardiology (ESC), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), and the American Heart Association (AHA)...

In 2003, select families with familial hypercholesterolemia were first identified to have gain-of-function mutations for proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) followed, in 2006, by the identification of those with lifelong low levels of LDL-C and lowered atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk who had loss-of-function PCSK9 mutations. These discoveries led to the rapid development of PSCK9-targeted monoclonal antibody (PCSK9 mAb) therapies and, in 2015, 2 'fully-humanized' PCSK9 mAbs (alirocumab and evolocumab) were marketed in the United States, Europe, and other countries...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and therapies aimed at lipid modification are important for the reduction of cardiovascular risk. There have been many exciting advances in lipid management over the recent years. This review discusses these recent advances as well as the direction of future studies. RECENT FINDINGS: Several recent clinical trials support low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) reduction beyond maximal statin therapy for improved cardiovascular outcomes...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The 2013 ACC/AHA Cholesterol guidelines was a major paradigm shift in the management and treatment of dyslipidemia. The new guidelines outlined "statin benefit groups," highlighted weighing the benefit versus risks of statin therapy ("net benefit"), and discussed the importance of shared decision making between patients and providers in primary prevention. While there was widespread agreement on the main groups benefiting from statin therapy, there was significant controversy regarding LDL-C goals and thresholds, the role of non-statin therapy, and the use of statins in specific populations...

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia has been a concern for a long time, with various guidelines emphasizing the importance of managing the lipid profile to prevent cardiac incidences. Although statins have been found to be highly effective, resistance and intolerability to side effects will continue to be a stumbling block for certain patients. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors tackle lipid profile via a novel mechanism and therefore provide an additional effective option for managing lipid profile...

In the Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk (FOURIER) trial,1 treatment with evolocumab resulted in a 15% relative (1.5% absolute) risk reduction of major cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) at a median follow-up of 2.2 years. This trial included patients with LDL-C≥70mg/dL or non-HDL-C ≥100mg/dL on at least moderate-intensity statins. It is not known what proportion of ASCVD patients would qualify for evolocumab based on FOURIER entry criteria and how eligibility would change if maximal doses of evidence-based lipid lowering therapies were required...

Proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a member of regulatory serine proteases which is mostly expressed in liver. In the physiological condition, LDL-C binds to LDL receptors (LDLRs) and via endocytosis, LDLRs are degraded. PCSK9 binds to the epidermal growth factor-like repeat A (EGFA) domain of extracellular LDLRs, and then physiological recycling of LDLRs from surface of liver is cancelled, resulting in elevation of circulating LDL-C in plasma. To evaluate whether evolucomab, as PCSK9 inhibitor monoclonal antibody, ameliorates lipid profile in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients, this meta-analysis has been conducted...

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of effective drug therapies that reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-C), cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Therefore, additional LDL-C reduction may be warranted, especially for patients who are unresponsive to, or unable to take, existing LDL-C-reducing therapies. By inhibiting the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) enzyme, monoclonal antibodies (PCSK9 inhibitors) may further reduce LDL-C, potentially reducing CVD risk as well...

BACKGROUND: Patients with homozygous and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) develop severe aortic calcifications in an age- and gene dosage-dependent manner. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of progression of aortic calcification in patients with HeFH. METHODS: We performed thoracoabdominal computed tomography scans and quantified aortic calcium (AoCa) score in 16 HeFH patients, all with the null low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor DEL15Kb mutation...

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Aims: Despite the success of statins, there remains unmet clinical need in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. New proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 55-65%. Two PCSK9 inhibitors, evolocumab and alirocumab, were approved for use in Norway but not yet for reimbursement through public national insurance. We aim to explore the cost-effectiveness of these compared to available treatments in a Norwegian setting...

Ischemic heart disease is the main cause of death worldwide and is accelerated by increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a potent circulating regulator of LDL-C through its ability to induce degradation of the LDL receptor (LDLR) in the lysosome of hepatocytes. Only in the last few years, a number of breakthroughs in the understanding of PCSK9 biology have been reported illustrating how PCSK9 activity is tightly regulated at several levels by factors influencing its transcription, secretion, or by extracellular inactivation and clearance...