Raul D Santos1, Evan A Stein2, G Kees Hovingh3, Dirk J Blom4, Handrean Soran5, Gerald F Watts6, J Antonio G López7, Sarah Bray7, Christopher E Kurtz7, Andrew W Hamer7, Frederick J Raal8. 1. Lipid Clinic Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School Hospital and Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: raul.santos@incor.usp.br. 2. Department of Medicine, Cardiology, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. 3. Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 4. Division of Lipidology and Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 5. Cardiovascular Trials Unit, Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. 6. School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Lipid Disorders Clinic, Department of Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 7. Amgen, Thousand Oaks, California. 8. Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor therapy is a treatment option for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who are unable to reach low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide long-term safety and efficacy data for evolocumab in patients with homozygous FH (HoFH) and severe heterozygous FH (HeFH). METHODS: In this open-label, single-arm study, patients with HoFH or severe HeFH ≥12 years of age and on stable lipid-lowering therapy began subcutaneous evolocumab 420 mg monthly or 420 mg every 2 weeks if on lipoprotein apheresis. After 12 weeks, those not on apheresis could be up-titrated to 420 mg every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events; secondary endpoints were changes in LDL-C and other lipids. RESULTS: In total, 300 patients (106 with HoFH, including 14 <18 years of age at enrollment) received evolocumab for a median of 4.1 years. Adverse events occurred in 89.3% of patients, the most common of which were nasopharyngitis, influenza, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. Mean change in LDL-C from baseline to week 12 was -21.2% (-59.8 mg/dl) in patients with HoFH and -54.9% (-104.4 mg/dl) in those with severe HeFH and was sustained over time. Of 48 patients with HoFH who were up-titrated, mean change in LDL-C improved from -19.6% at week 12 to -29.7% after 12 weeks of 420 mg every 2 weeks. The adjudicated cardiovascular event rate was 2.7% per year. Of 61 patients receiving apheresis at enrollment, 16 discontinued apheresis. CONCLUSIONS: Evolocumab was well tolerated and effectively reduced plasma LDL-C levels in patients with HoFH and severe HeFH over a median of 4.1 years.
BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor therapy is a treatment option for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who are unable to reach low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide long-term safety and efficacy data for evolocumab in patients with homozygous FH (HoFH) and severe heterozygous FH (HeFH). METHODS: In this open-label, single-arm study, patients with HoFH or severe HeFH ≥12 years of age and on stable lipid-lowering therapy began subcutaneous evolocumab 420 mg monthly or 420 mg every 2 weeks if on lipoprotein apheresis. After 12 weeks, those not on apheresis could be up-titrated to 420 mg every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events; secondary endpoints were changes in LDL-C and other lipids. RESULTS: In total, 300 patients (106 with HoFH, including 14 <18 years of age at enrollment) received evolocumab for a median of 4.1 years. Adverse events occurred in 89.3% of patients, the most common of which were nasopharyngitis, influenza, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. Mean change in LDL-C from baseline to week 12 was -21.2% (-59.8 mg/dl) in patients with HoFH and -54.9% (-104.4 mg/dl) in those with severe HeFH and was sustained over time. Of 48 patients with HoFH who were up-titrated, mean change in LDL-C improved from -19.6% at week 12 to -29.7% after 12 weeks of 420 mg every 2 weeks. The adjudicated cardiovascular event rate was 2.7% per year. Of 61 patients receiving apheresis at enrollment, 16 discontinued apheresis. CONCLUSIONS:Evolocumab was well tolerated and effectively reduced plasma LDL-C levels in patients with HoFH and severe HeFH over a median of 4.1 years.
Authors: Stephen J Nicholls; Steven E Nissen; Francesco Prati; Stephan Windecker; Yu Kataoka; Rishi Puri; Thomas Hucko; Helina Kassahun; Jason Liao; Ransi Somaratne; Julie Butters; Giuseppe Di Giovanni; Stephen Jones; Peter J Psaltis Journal: Cardiovasc Diagn Ther Date: 2021-02