Recently, I wrote about the negative side effect of statins on memory. Researchers announced a new drug, early in the clinical testing stages, that may enhance the cholesterol-lowering benefits of statins or replace them entirely. The new drug is an antibody called REGN727. REGN727 works by blocking the action of a protein produced in the liver that limits the amount of bad cholesterol, or LDL, that the liver can remove from the bloodstream.
Early testing on nearly 200 test subjects with high cholesterol indicates that REGN727 can reduce levels from 40% to over 70% when used alone or in conjunction with statins; statins on their own can reduce cholesterol levels from between 20 to 60%. Like statins, it is expected that patients will require continuous use of REGN727 to maintain lower cholesterol levels.
(Photo: A Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from El Alvi‘s photo stream)
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