What is Nexletol?

March 9, 2023

New research has shown that Nexletol, a different type of cholesterol-lowering drug, may be a viable option for people who are unable to take statins due to side effects. Nexletol, also known as bempedoic acid, was previously prescribed to be used alongside statins. The study is the first to show that Nexletol alone can reduce the risk of cholesterol-caused health problems.

How does Nexletol work?

Nexletol prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver. Statin does the same. However, the difference is that statins cause muscle side effects while Nexletol doesn’t. The patients treated with Nexletol had a 13% lower risk of cardiac problems.

What does Nexletol do?

Nexletol reduces the risk of heart attacks. Bad cholesterol leads to heart attacks blocking the arteries. The drug does this by blocking an enzyme called Adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase in the liver. This enzyme is the key to producing cholesterol.

What are Statins? What are the issues with taking Statins?

Too much low-density lipoprotein or LDL, commonly known as bad cholesterol, blocks up arteries and increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Statins, such as Lipitor and Crestor, are the preferred treatment for high cholesterol and are known to effectively lower the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems. However, up to 10% of people who qualify for statins cannot tolerate them due to serious muscle pain.

About Nexletol

The scientific name of Nexletol is Bempedoic acid. It was first approved in the US in 2020. It is a first-in-class medication.

Nexletol is a first-in-class medication

The drugs that use a “New and Unique Mechanism of action” are categorised as first-in-class drugs. It is not a regulatory category. The list of these drugs is created and maintained by FDA.

These drugs do not have safety evidence. They are mostly seen as a commercially more attractive drug. Most of the “blockbuster drugs” are first-in-class medicines. Blockbuster drugs are those drugs whose sales are more than 1 billion USD.

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