New cholesterol-lowering drugs are discussed by UB cardiologist and researcher

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The new statin alternatives, the class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors, which are just coming onto the market, are a welcome addition for treating high cholesterol, said Stanley F. Fernandez, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Fernandez is a site investigator at UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center, which is part of an international, multi-center study, funded by Amgen, which makes evolucomab, a PCSK9 inhibitor. The study will involve a total of 27,000 patients over five years and will look at the long-term clinical benefits of evolucomab, when it is given on top of currently available optimal medical therapy in patients at high-risk for atherosclerotic diseases.  

He discussed the drugs in a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDxcGRYcJLk.

“These drugs are important for a certain population of patients because they provide a significant drop in LDL, the ‘bad cholesterol,’ without the myalgia, or muscle pain that is seen in a subset of the population who take statin drugs,” said Fernandez, who sees patients at UBMD, the physician practice plan of the UB medical school.

He noted that there will be “a learning curve” since for most cardiac patients, this will be the first drug that they must learn to inject. The injection method is very similar to what is required for diabetics, but these drugs are only injected once every two or four weeks.

The safety profile for the PCSK9 inhibitors so far has been excellent, Fernandez said, noting that long-term studies, such as the one in which he is a site investigator, will be better able to assess any unexpected side effects of this new class of drugs.

Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is beginning a new chapter in its history with the largest medical education building under construction in the nation. The eight-story, 628,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2017. The new location puts superior medical education, clinical care and pioneering research in close proximity, anchoring Buffalo’s evolving comprehensive academic health center in a vibrant downtown setting.  These new facilities will better enable the school to advance health and wellness across the life span for the people of New York and the world through research, clinical care and the education of tomorrow’s leaders in health care and biomedical sciences. The school’s faculty and residents provide care for the community’s diverse populations through strong clinical partnerships and the school’s practice plan, UBMD.