Researchers have conducted the first human trials of a new drug, lepodisiran, and found that a single injection reduced lipoprotein(a) – a ‘bad’ cholesterol with a genetic basis – to undetectable levels for almost a year. It has the potential to eliminate a risk factor for cardiovascular disease for which there is currently no treatment.

A type of cholesterol, lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a), shares some characteristics with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol. Like LDL cholesterol, Lp(a) causes plaque to build up in arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body, making it a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, because high Lp(a) levels are inherited, they’re largely unaffected by exercise, diet, or medications. There are no current treatments for high Lp(a).

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Researchers have conducted the first human trials of a new therapeutic called lepodisiran and found that a single injection of the drug lowered Lp(a) to undetectable levels for almost a year by interfering with its mechanism of production.

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