Bempedoic Acid: A New Drug for an Old Problem.

OBJECTIVE

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of bempedoic acid for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction.

DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search was conducted from January 2000 to June 15, 2020, using the keyword bempedoic acid for phase III clinical trials published in the English language.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Articles related to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of bempedoic acid and other trials relating to the safety and efficacy of this drug were included.

DATA SYNTHESIS: The findings from this review show that bempedoic acid is a safe and effective option for lowering LDL-C levels in patients requiring LDL-C lowering for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.

RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE: Statin therapy remains the mainstay of treatment for both primary and secondary prevention. However, many patients cannot tolerate statin therapy because of statin-associated muscle symptoms. Bempedoic acid may be a reasonable adjunct for LDL-C reduction, though further evaluation of cardiovascular outcomes with bempedoic acid in this population is needed.

CONCLUSIONS

The recent FDA approval of bempedoic acid offers an additional option for lowering LDL-C levels in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or heterozygous familial hyperlipidemia. Additional data regarding effect on long-term cardiovascular outcomes with bempedoic acid are currently being studied.