AHA: Evacetrapib Alone/With Statins Useful in Dyslipidemia

Significantly increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol compared to statins alone

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Evacetrapib therapy alone or in combination with statins increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and decreases low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, according to a study published in the cardiovascular disease-themed Nov. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011, held from Nov. 12 to 16 in Orlando, Fla.

Stephen J. Nicholls, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues investigated the biochemical effects, safety, and tolerability of evacetrapib, alone or in combination with statins in 398 patients with dyslipidemia (mean baseline LDL-C and HDL-C levels of 144.3 and 55.1 mg/dL, respectively). Participants were randomized to receive placebo, evacetrapib monotherapy, or statins with or without evacetrapib for 12 weeks following a dietary lead-in. The percentage changes in HDL-C and LDL-C from baseline were calculated after 12 weeks of treatment.

The investigators found that HDL-C showed a dose dependent increase of 30.0 to 60.0 mg/dL with evacetrapib monotherapy compared to a decrease of −0.7 mg/dL with placebo; and a decrease of −20.5 to −51.4 mg/dL in LDL-C compared with an increase of 7.2 mg/dL with placebo. The combination of evacetrapib and statin therapy produced a significant increase of 42.1 to 50.5 mg/dL in HDL-C and decrease of −67.1 to −75.8 mg/dL in LDL-C levels, compared with statin monotherapy. Compared to evacetrapib monotherapy, evacetrapib/statin treatment was associated with significantly greater reductions in LDL-C, but not significantly greater increases in HDL-C.

"Compared with placebo or statin monotherapy, evacetrapib as monotherapy or in combination with statins increased HDL-C levels and decreased LDL-C levels," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, which funded the study and manufactures evacetrapib.

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