What is Evolocumab?
Evolocumab, also known as Amgen’s Repatha, is an injectable prescription medication used to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease. It works by blocking the action of a protein called PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), which can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. By inhibiting PCSK9, evolocumab helps to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol levels, ultimately reducing the risk of cardiovascular events.
What is Evolocumab used for?
Evolocumab is a monoclonal antibody that belongs to the class of PCSK9 inhibitors. It was developed by Amgen Inc. and approved by the US FDA in 2015 for the treatment of high cholesterol, specifically heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or other conditions caused by inherited mutations in the LDL receptor gene. Evolocumab works by targeting and blocking the activity of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), an enzyme that breaks down low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors on the surface of liver cells. By inhibiting PCSK9, evolocumab allows more LDL receptors to be expressed on the liver cell surface, resulting in increased clearance of LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream.
Evolocumab has been shown to significantly reduce levels of LDL-C and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), another marker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Its mechanism of action and clinical efficacy have made it an important therapeutic option for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, as well as those with other forms of high cholesterol who are inadequately controlled on maximally tolerated statin therapy. In addition to its use in treating HeFH, evolocumab has also been approved by the FDA for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or established cardiovascular disease.
Evolocumab side effects
- Injection site reactions
- Allergic reactions (rare)
- Hypersensitivity reactions
- Muscle pain
- Back pain
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Liver damage (rare)
- Increased liver enzymes
- Elevation of LDL cholesterol
- Hyperlipidemia
- Elevated liver function tests
- Hypersensitivity reactions (including angioedema, pruritus, urticaria, and anaphylaxis)
- Local injection site reactions (such as redness, swelling, or pain at the site of injection)
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