American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2017 Scientific Sessions: Evolocumab Added to Statins Cuts Cardiovascular Events in the FOURIER Trial
In addition to significantly lowering levels of LDL-C, the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor evolocumab (Repatha, Amgen) decreased major CV-events risk, according to results from the long-anticipated outcomes trial Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk (FOURIER).
The study, which included more than 27,000 participants with atherosclerotic CVD and already receiving statins, showed that patients who received injections of evolocumab at doses of 140 mg every other week or 420 mg monthly had a significant reduced risk for the composite of MI, stroke, CV death, coronary revascularization, and unstable angina hospitalization compared with those receiving matching placebo.
FOURIER did not include specific analyses of FH patients, though it is anticipated that many FH patients were included. Additionally, analyses on cost-effectiveness and long-term safety need to be conducted. For the FH population, it will be tremendously valuable to gather data in subsets of FH patients, such as those with high lipoprotein(a).
|