Bempedoic acid for primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia in patients unable to reach cholesterol goals with the maximum tolerated dose of a statin

Bempedoic acid is an oral medicinal product that is in clinical development for the treatment of people with primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia with high cardiovascular risk. Abnormal levels of lipids in the blood characterises dyslipidaemia. High levels of cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia) may be caused by genetic defects as seen in familial hypercholesterolaemia, or may occur when genes and other factors such as lifestyle habits interact, as seen in non-familial hypercholesterolaemia. Most people with hypercholesterolaemia have mildly or moderately increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (often considered the “bad” cholesterol that may cause blockages of blood vessels). Elevated levels of LDL-C increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for many deaths and disabilities.
Bempedoic acid lowers LDL-C via a different mechanism of action and offers the potential advantage of reduced muscular adverse effects when compared to statins which are the current standard of care. Bempedoic acid is being developed for patients at high cardiovascular risk who are unable to reach LDL-C goals with the maximum tolerated dose of statins. The effect of bempedoic acid is additive—not redundant—to that of statins, and if licensed, may offer additional and effective treatment option to use in combination with dietary changes and other lipid-modifying therapies to treat primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia.