Efficacy and safety of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab in patients with mixed hyperlipidemia

Journal article

Purpose
Evolocumab significantly reduces low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C); we investigated its effects on LDL-C lowering in patients with mixed hyperlipidemia.

Methods
We compared the efficacy and safety of evolocumab in hypercholesterolemic patients selected from the phase 2 and 3 trials who had fasting triglyceride levels ≥1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL elevated triglycerides) and <1.7 mmol/L (without elevated triglycerides). Fasting triglyceride level ≥ 4.5 mmol/L at screening was an exclusion criterion for these studies, but post-enrollment triglyceride levels may have exceeded 4.5 mmol/L (400 mg/dL). Efficacy was evaluated in four phase 3 randomized studies (n = 1148) and safety from the phase 2 and 3 studies (n = 2246) and their open-label extension studies (n = 1698). Efficacy analyses were based on 12-week studies, while safety analyses included data from all available studies. Treatment differences were calculated vs. placebo and ezetimibe after pooling dose frequencies.

Results
Mean treatment difference in percentage change from baseline in LDL-C for participants with elevated triglycerides and those without elevated triglycerides (mean of weeks 10 and 12) with evolocumab was approximately −67 % vs. placebo and −42 % vs. ezetimibe (all P < 0.001) compared to −6 % vs. placebo and −39 % vs. ezetimibe, respectively. Treatment differences for evolocumab vs. placebo and ezetimibe followed a similar pattern for non–high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein B. Evolocumab was well tolerated, with balanced rates of adverse events leading to discontinuation of evolocumab vs. comparator (placebo and/or ezetimibe).

Conclusion
The significant reductions of atherogenic lipids including LDL-C, non–HDL-C, and apolipoprotein B seen with evolocumab are similar in patients with and without mixed hyperlipidemia.

Authors: Preiss, D; Rosenson, R; Jacobsen, T; Djedjos, C; Dent, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Journal: Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
• Publication date: 2016-05-30
• Acceptance date: 2016-04-26
• DOI: 10.1007/s10557-016-6666-1
• EISSN: 1573-7241
• ISSN: 0920-3206
• Keywords: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9; High-density lipoprotein; Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; Triglycerides; Apolipoprotein