A new daily pill could reduce bad cholesterol levels by 60%, according to a new study.

Enlicitide, which was developed by Merck, lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol by more than half in a global study published this week in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.

The trial, led by Dr. Christie M. Ballantyne of the Texas Heart Institute, spanned 59 medical sites across 17 countries.

It involved 303 adults who had been diagnosed with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), a genetic condition that elevates LDL cholesterol and raises the risk of early heart disease .

All participants were already taking other medications or lipid-lowering therapies, but their cholesterol levels remained above target, according to a press release from the researchers.

Researcher

See Full Page