A new medical study has shown remarkable results for an oral medication that has proven effective in reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) by nearly 60 percent in patients with Hereditary Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).
According to a news agency report, the study was published in the medical journal JAMA and was also highlighted by MedicalXpress. It reviewed the experimental trial of a new drug called Enlicitide, developed by the American company Merck.
Reports state that this pill is part of the same advanced class of treatments that inhibit the PCSK9 enzyme, which are usually administered through injections, but for the first time, it has been developed in pill form, eliminating the need for injections.
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a hereditary cholesterol disorder caused by a mutation in a single gene. It is a genetic condition that affects approximately one in every 250 individuals.
This genetic mutation weakens the body’s ability to remove bad cholesterol from the blood. As a result, cholesterol begins to accumulate in the arteries, narrowing them and increasing the early risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reports indicate that despite the availability of statins and other medications, many patients are unable to sufficiently reduce their cholesterol levels, especially when the condition is hereditary.
The advantage of this drug is that it binds to and deactivates the PCSK9 protein in the blood, which normally breaks down the liver receptors that absorb bad cholesterol from the blood.
By blocking this protein, the drug protects the liver receptors, increasing their number and allowing more LDL cholesterol to be removed from the bloodstream.
