US FDA nod for 1st pill to replace jabs to fight high cholesterol

US FDA approved Lipfendra, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, for adults with high cholesterol including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Clinical trials showed Lipfendra reduced LDL cholesterol by 56-59% over 24 weeks in patients already on maximally tolerated statins.

The approval offers an oral alternative to injectable PCSK9 inhibitors for patients with difficult-to-control high cholesterol.

Lipfendra is not expected to be available in India immediately; it must obtain approval from CDSCO, which may require clinical trials.