New “pac-man” drug could be a game-changer in the fight against bad cholesterol

In the next few years, doctors could have a new “game-changing” drug to use in the fight against too much bad cholesterol, or LDL.

For the past 30 years, the medical treatment of choice has been statins but those drugs aren’t always effective for everyone with cholesterol issues. But an entirely new class of drugs currently in development is set to change things.

According to researchers, it could drastically reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The new drug, Alirocumab, can be used in conjunction with statins for an added boost or as an alternative to those who cannot take them, says Dr. Gordon Frances from the Providence Heart and Lung Institute.

In a recent clinical study of 2,338 patients, who were at risk of high cholesterol or suffering a heart attack or stroke, results showed that Alirocumab taken in combination with statins reduced LDL by an additional 40 to 50 per cent.

How does it work?

The drug’s inhibitors target the protein that prevents the liver from take the LDL out of the bloodstream. By lowering the protein in the body, it results in lowering the LDL. Some are calling it the “pac-man drug” due to its nature of gobbling up the protein.

Other benefits include a reduction in side effects.

“It’s safe and doesn’t cause the muscle aches that statins do,” Dr. Frances says.

There’s always a cost

Although Dr. Frances says it’s an exciting time, it will be at least three years before the self-injectable antibody will be ready to go to market. And when it does, it will be expensive.

“It could be a game-changer but it’s going to be expensive,” Dr. Frances says.

“The treatment would be reserved for people with severely high cholesterol or people that already have heart disease but we can’t get their LDL down low enough to protect them from another heart attack.”

~ with files from Elaine Yong