Evolocumab in the treatment of dyslipidemia: pre-clinical and clinical pharmacology.

Introduction: Statins are the mainstay of lipid-lowering therapies targeted at reducing cardiovascular risk. However, they do not completely obviate risk, not all patients tolerate them, and they are not sufficiently effective in patients with very high plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) such as those with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) or patients with elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. Recent advances in the understanding of lipoprotein metabolism have led to the development of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors including evolocumab , which lowers plasma levels of LDL-C by 50 - 75% as monotherapy or in combination with statin therapy.