1.Dr. P.Naina Mohamed Pharmacologist New Drug to Lower LDL' Cholesterol - Evolocumab

2. Introduction According to the results of a global trial, a new injectable drug (Evolocumab) can further knock down cholesterol levels in people who take cholesterol-busting statin medications. The lead author of the trial said that this drug enhances the body's natural way of reducing LDL levels in the bloodstream. Evolocumab is a "human monoclonal antibody" which inhibits Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9). PCSK9 is produced by liver and is a regulatory protein which targets LDL receptors for degradation and thereby reduces the liver's ability to remove LDL- 3. Possible Mechanism of Action Evolocumab (Human monoclonal antibody) Monoclonal antibodies bind to PCSK9 Inhibition of binding of PCSK9 with LDL receptors on the liver surface Increased number of LDL receptors Removal of LDL-C from the blood 4. Conclusion Evolocumab will be mostly helpful in treating people with a genetic disorder that causes them to have high cholesterol. It also could help people with high cholesterol who can't take large doses of statins. An expert said a follow-up study is underway to evaluate Evolocumab's longer-term outcomes and safety. But if it does gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, the drug will be expensive. Evolocumab is a very specific antibody, it seems to be very well-tolerated without any drug interactions or any side effects. 5. References http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid =1869210 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory _146222.html http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa131 6222 http://www.cardiosource.org/News- Media/Publications/Cardiology- Magazine/2014/03/Evolocumab.aspx