Bempedoic acid (monotherapy) or bempedoic acid in combination with ezetimibe for primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia

Bempedoic acid as a monotherapy, or in combination with ezetimibe, is in clinical development for high risk and very high risk people with primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia. Abnormal levels of lipids in the blood characterises dyslipidaemia. High levels of cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia) may be caused by inherited 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. Elevated levels of LDL-C increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for many deaths and disabilities.
The current standard of care for patients with hypercholesterolaemia is primarily statins which are capable of reducing LDL-C. There is however a subset of patients who are unable to tolerate statins due to adverse effects. Bempedoic acid monotherapy or in combination with ezetimibe are once-daily tablets in development for patients unable to tolerate statins at all, or are not able to tolerate the necessary dose of statin required to reach their LDL-C goal, or are recommended not to use them due to various circumstances. Bempedoic acid and ezetimibe both act in complementary ways to lower LDL-C. These therapies may offer additional and effective treatment options to use in combination with dietary changes and other lipid-modifying therapies to treat primary hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia.