THOUSAND OAKS (dpa-AFX) - Amgen Inc. (AMGN) Sunday reported positive results from phase 1b study of AMG 145, an investigational PCSK9 inhibitor, in patients with high cholesterol who were taking statins. The study revealed that multiple doses of the drug significantly reduced LDL, or bad cholesterol, by up to 81 percent compared to placebo in patients on low to moderate doses of statins.
AMG 145 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits PCSK9, a protein that reduces the liver's ability to remove LDL-C from the blood. High LDL cholesterol is the main contributor to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
In the 51-patient study, the subjects who received AMG 145 every two weeks in combination with low to moderate doses of statins had LDL reductions of up to 75 percent versus placebo at sixth week.
Meanwhile, the subjects who received AMG 145 in combination of low to moderate doses of statins every four weeks showed up to a 66 percent reduction in LDL at eighth week.
Patients on high doses of statins who received AMG 145 every two weeks had a reduction in LDL of up to 63 percent versus placebo at sixth week, the company said.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX