Cholesterol drug ends 18-year wait
A NEW pill to treat high cholesterol is being made available in Scotland for the first time in 18 years.
The use of bempedoic acid has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Council (SMC), giving an estimated 8,500 patients access to the medication.
High cholesterol is a key contributor to cardiovascular (heart) disease. It causes nearly 30 per cent of all deaths in Scotland – nearly 50 every day.
The drug is designed to lower ‘bad cholesterol’ known as LDL-C, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke.
Cardiology specialist Professor Adrian Brady, of Glasgow University, described the decision as a ‘significant milestone’ for treatment of high cholesterol. He said: ‘CVD [cardiovascular disease] continues to affect the lives of millions of people and is one of the largest causes of death and disability in Scotland.’
He added: ‘The option of prescribing bempedoic acid will be a valuable addition to our treatment options, as we know it not only reduces LDL-C levels significantly, but it also helps maintain these lower levels.’
As well as health benefits, it is hoped the drug will reduce some of Scotland’s £800million annual spending on heart disease-related healthcare costs.
The acceptance of the treatment, made by pharmaceutical firm Daiichi Sankyo, follows similar decisions across the rest of the UK.
Chief executive of charity HEART UK Jules Payne said: ‘To reduce the potentially devastating impact of this CVD risk factor, ensuring patients have access to effective cholesterol-lowering treatments is really important.’
A further two drugs were also accepted by the SMC.
Atezolizumab (brand name Tecentriq) was accepted for the treatment of adult patients in Scotland with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, who have not received prior therapy.
Meanwhile, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with active disease will now be able to access a drug called ofatumumab (Kesimpta), which offers the potential to slow progression of the condition and reduce relapses. SMC chairman Mark MacGregor said: ‘Participants in our PACE [patient and clinician engagement] meeting for atezolizumab told us of the devastating impact of hepatocellular carcinoma on patients and their family.
‘We know availability of this medicine will be welcomed and we hope it may allow patients to enjoy a better quality of life.’
He said that the decision on bempedoic acid ‘provides a treatment option for certain patients with high cholesterol when no other treatments are available’.