The Press of Atlantic City reports that there's help for high cholesterol. An experimental drug called anacetrapib boosted good cholesterol so high and dropped bad cholesterol so low in a study that doctors were stunned and voiced renewed hopes for an entirely new way of preventing heart attack and stroke.
Dr. Christopher Cannon of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston led the study of the novel drug for Merck & Company, saying "This could be the next big thing." Anacetrapib will not be on the market anytime soon. It needs more testing to see whether its effects on cholesterol will translate into fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths. Merck says to answer that question could take several years.
Anacetrapib would be the first drug of its kind. It helps keep fat particles attached to HDL (good cholesterol) which carries them in the bloodstream to the liver to be disposed of. It is too soon to estimate the cost of the medicine, but the maker stands to make billions.
The new drug looks more potent, without the serious side effects that led to the failure of other drugs. The large changes seen during the study have never been seen before. The improvements persisted for at least another year as the study continued.
This is great news to those who suffer from high cholesterol. Hopefully the medicine will be available sooner than later to prevent any more people from having a heart attack or stroke.
Wow this is interesting. It Is great that they found Anacetrapib, that can lower cholesterol. Hopefully it would be available to soon to help ll of the people that are suffering with high cholesterol, and it is good that it doesn't seem to have many side effects.
ReplyDelete