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Retargeting the management of hypercholesterolemia - focus on evolocumab.

ABSTRACT: Hypercholesterolemia is one of the main risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The treatment is based on the modification of the diet and lifestyle and if necessary on a pharmacological therapy. The most widely used drugs are the inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (statins); nevertheless, many patients do not reach optimal levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) even with maximal dosage of statins (eventually associated to ezetimibe) or present side effects, which do not allow them to continue the treatment. Inhibitors of PCSK9 represent a new therapeutic approach for lowering LDL-C. Evolocumab and alirocumab are human monoclonal antibodies, which bind to extracellular PCSK9 and thus interfere with the degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptor. Evolocumab use is approved for the treatment of patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and homozygous FH as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy or for subjects with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who require additional lowering of LDL-C. Phase III clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of evolocumab (140 mg/every 2 weeks or 420 mg/month, via subcutaneous injection) in monotherapy and in combination with statins, in the treatment of patients intolerant to statins or with FH. In monotherapy, it reduces LDL-C by 55%, and its association with statins leads to a reduction of LDL-C by up to 63%-75%. Evolocumab has been demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated. Ongoing clinical trials are assessing the long-term effects of evolocumab on the incidence of cardiovascular risk, safety, and tolerability. This review resumes the available clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of evolocumab, for which a relatively large amount of clinical data are currently available, and discusses the retargeting of cholesterol-lowering therapy in clinical practice.

SUBMITTER: Colletti A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5019477 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Retargeting the management of hypercholesterolemia - focus on evolocumab.

Colletti Alessandro A Derosa Giuseppe G Cicero Arrigo Fg AF

Therapeutics and clinical risk management 20160906

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the main risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The treatment is based on the modification of the diet and lifestyle and if necessary on a pharmacological therapy. The most widely used drugs are the inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (statins); nevertheless, many patients do not reach optimal levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) even with maximal dosage of statins (eventually associated to ezetimib ...[more]

PMID: 27660454

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Project description:ObjectiveEvolocumab, a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9)-neutralizing antibody, lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemic (HoFH) patients with reduced LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor) function. However, their individual responses are highly variable, even among carriers of identical LDLR genetic defects. We aimed to elucidate why HoFH patients variably respond to PCSK9 inhibition.Approach and resultsLymphocytes were isolated from 22 HoFH patients enrolled in the TAUSSIG trial (Trial Assessing Long Term Use of PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Genetic LDL Disorders). Ten patients were true homozygotes (FH1/FH1) and 5 identical compound heterozygotes (FH1/FH2). Lymphocytes were plated with or without mevastatin, recombinant PCSK9 (rPCSK9), or a PCSK9-neutralizing antibody. Cell surface LDLR expression was analyzed by flow cytometry. All HoFH lymphocytes had reduced cell surface LDLR expression compared with non-FH lymphocytes, for each treatment modality. Lymphocytes from FH1/FH2 patients (LDLR defective/negative) displayed the lowest LDLR expression levels followed by lymphocytes from FH1/FH1 patients (defective/defective). Mevastatin increased, whereas rPCSK9 reduced LDLR expression. The PCSK9-neutralizing antibody restored LDLR expression. Lymphocytes displaying higher LDLR expression levels were those isolated from patients presenting with lowest levels of LDL-C and apolipoprotein B, before and after 24 weeks of evolocumab treatment. These negative correlations remained significant in FH1/FH1 patients and appeared more pronounced when patients with apolipoprotein E3/E3 genotypes were analyzed separately. Significant positive correlations were found between the levels of LDLR expression and the percentage reduction in LDL-C on evolocumab treatment.ConclusionsResidual LDLR expression in HoFH is a major determinant of LDL-C levels and seems to drive their individual response to evolocumab.

Project description:Refractory hypercholesterolemia (RH), including homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and compound heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, is characterized by high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) despite existing cholesterol-lowering methods at maximal tolerable doses. Patients with RH have early onset and higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) under insufficient treatment. Therefore, it is urgent to seek new therapies to maintain the blood lipids in refractory hyperlipidemia at normal levels. Currently, new cholesterol-lowering strategies are on the market, not only at the protein level [i.e., bempedoic acid (inhibiting ATP-citrate lyase), alirocumab and evolocumab (monoclonal antibodies against PCSK9), evinacumab (monoclonal antibody against ANGPTL3)] but also at the transcript level [i.e., mipomersen (antisense oligonucleotide inhibiting ApoB), inclisiran (siRNA targeting PCSK9)], providing more options for RH patients to achieve their lipid-lowering targets. More RNA-based therapies targeting RH-related genes have been designed for the treatment. However, for a proportion of patients, especially those with LDLR deficiency, the available treatments are still insufficient. More recently, emerging genome engineering based on CRISPR/Cas9 techniques, and advanced delivery technologies such as lentiviral vectors, adenoviral vectors, adeno-associated viral vectors, lipid nanoparticles, and exosomes are being rapidly developed and implemented as novel therapies for RH. Gene therapy targeting RH-related genes has been successfully conducted in cells, mice, and non-human primates with high efficacy in lipid lowering and good tolerability. Especially the new generation of genome editing technique, base editing, performed in vivo with ideal lipid-lowering effect and limited occurrence of unwanted results. Excitingly, a phase I/II clinical study of LDLR gene replacement has been recently completed in RH patients, likely to be employed in clinical practice in the future. Furthermore, new targets for cholesterol reduction such as REV-ERB, G protein-coupled receptor, Ubiquitin specific peptidase 20 are continually being developed. This narrative review updates recent advances in treatment for RH, summarizes related clinical trials and preclinical studies, especially on the prospect of gene therapy.

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Retargeting the management of hypercholesterolemia - focus on evolocumab.

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Retargeting the management of hypercholesterolemia - focus on evolocumab.

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