Early data suggest ETC-1002, a drug that regulates lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, had a significant impact on cholesterol levels and improved factors believed to contribute to cardio-metabolic diseases, say researchers from the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, the Baylor College of Medicine, and Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., who are presenting their work at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session in Chicago.
Preliminary results from a 12-week phase II clinical trial of three different doses of ETC-1002, administered daily, suggest a 60 mg daily dose could result in a 27 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels, compared to a 2 percent reduction in the group of patients that received a placebo. The drug also appeared to impact other parameters that influence cardio-metabolic health, such as ApoB, LDL particle number, and non-HDL cholesterols, and did so in a dose-dependent way. Adverse reactions with the dose levels studied were similar to those for the placebo group. Principal investigator Christie M. Ballantyne, M.D., says further research is needed to determine the drug's safety at higher doses, and whether the drug makes traditional statin treatments even more effective. ETC-1002 was developed by Roger Newton, who led the development of atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor).
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