Clear the "bad cholesterol"

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a form of cholesterol transport in the blood, commonly known as "bad cholesterol", the level of increase will increase the risk of coronary heart disease in the blood. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) an autosomal dominant genetic disease, whose patients from the early years began to appear in the blood will be abnormally high levels of LDL-C. Among them, the homozygous much more severe symptoms than heterozygotes: former plasma cholesterol levels 6-8 times higher than normal high; the latter plasma cholesterol concentration is 2 to 3 times normal. In addition, familial hypercholesterolemia atherosclerosis can also cause corneal bow and yellow tumors and other symptoms.

However, the launch of new drugs Amgen Repatha? (Generic name evolocumab) to the treatment of this disease has brought new solutions. ? Repatha is the world's first PCSK9 inhibitor class of lipid-lowering drugs (PCSK9: proprotein convertase subtilisin 9). PCSK9 in the human body can reduce the ability of the liver remove LDL-C in the blood, which in fact lead to elevated levels of the latter. Repatha? By binding to PCSK9, in order to prevent the latter to combine low-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptor (LDLR), thus inhibiting the LDLR degradation process mediated by the PCSK9, and promotes recycling of stem cells LDLR. Therefore, Repatha? Ultimately increase the number of liver cell surface used to clear the blood of "bad cholesterol" in the LDLR, played the role of lipid-lowering.

Repatha? Is a joint venture between Amgen and Anse Tektronix Japan established Amgen Astellas BioPharma KK R & D last year, has received FDA approval. And just last week, Repatha? Has finally been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to market, for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia, as well as for HMG-CoA inhibitor drugs (statin, statin) is invalid and a high cardiovascular hypercholesterolemic patients the risk of disease. It became the first in Japan to be approved PCSK9 inhibitor class of lipid-lowering drugs.