A single injection of an experimental drug called Verve-102 can reduce cholesterol levels up to 69%, according to the initial results of clinical trials which have not yet been examined by peers.
Treatment could transform the prevention of heart attacks by considerably reducing LDL cholesterol – the so -called “bad” cholesterol – with a single injection.
Although statins can obtain similar cholesterol discounts, they usually have to be taken daily.
Verve-102 aims to provide a punctual correction by turning off a specific gene called PCSK9 in the liver, which plays a key role in the regulation of the amount of LDL cholesterol that the liver can detect and remove from the blood circulation.
Doctors described the results as “spectacular”
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The clinical trial involved 14 participants with family hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that predisposes people to heart disease, heart attacks and cerebral accidents due to very high LDL LDL cholesterol.
The first results indicate that all participants responded to the drug, without serious side effects reported.
Different doses have led to variable responses between test groups.
The four individuals who received the lowest dose of Verve-102 saw average reductions in their LDL cholesterol by 21%, while the average cohort experienced 41%reductions.
The highest dose resulted in a reduction of 53% on average, although a high-dose group participant made a remarkable reduction of 69% of their LDL cholesterol after receiving Verve-102.
Professor Riyaz Patel, university cardiologist at the University College of London and doctor of Barts Health NHS Trust, who participated in the test, described the results as “spectacular”.
“It’s the future,” said Professor Patel to BBC Science Focus. “It is reality; It is not science fiction. We actually do it. “
Treatment could transform the prevention of heart attacks
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“This medication deactivates a tiny DNA fraction, and your LDL cholesterol is 50% lower for the rest of your life. That’s it. One and done.
“It will be revolutionary,” he added. Dr. Eugene Braunwald, an eminent professor of hersey medicine at the Harvard Medical School, called the initial “promising” test data and suggested “the potential of a new era of treatment for cardiovascular disease”.
Verve is currently recruiting participants for a new stage in their clinical trial in the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Australia and New Zealand, with expected final results in the second half of 2025.