{"id":598321,"date":"2026-07-22T09:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/598321\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T09:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:36:11","slug":"barriers-may-keep-mercks-new-cholesterol-drug-from-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/598321\/","title":{"rendered":"Barriers may keep Merck\u2019s new cholesterol drug from success"},"content":{"rendered":"

A long-awaited moment in preventive cardiology arrived last week, when enlicitide (which Merck is selling under the name Lipfendra) was approved<\/a> by the FDA to lower blood cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n

As the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor \u2014 powerful cholesterol-lowering medications, that, until now, have only been injectable \u2014 enlicitide itself is an impressive achievement. It punctuates a story of pharmaceutical innovation that has glided from the stories of families enrolled in the Dallas Heart Study<\/a> at the bedside, to drug targets discovered at the lab bench, all ultimately transforming care back at the bedside.<\/p>\n

It also comes at an opportune time. With new clinical guidelines<\/a> supporting a more aggressive approach to lowering cholesterol levels, enlicitide may be particularly useful for people with either established or at high risk for cardiovascular disease. For the millions of Americans who fit into these groups, it has already been hailed as a game changer<\/a>. But the story here \u2014 of whom it would actually help, and what it implies about prevention today \u2014 is more complicated.<\/p>\n

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