The New England journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Atorvastatin with or without an antibody to PCSK9 in primary hypercholesterolemia.
Serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) binds to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, increasing the degradation of LDL receptors and reducing the rate at which LDL cholesterol is removed from the circulation. REGN727/SAR236553 (designated here as SAR236553), a fully human PCSK9 monoclonal antibody, increases the recycling of LDL receptors and reduces LDL cholesterol levels. ⋯ In a randomized trial involving patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, adding SAR236553 to either 10 mg of atorvastatin or 80 mg of atorvastatin resulted in a significantly greater reduction in LDL cholesterol than that attained with 80 mg of atorvastatin alone. (Funded by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01288469.).