Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

A High-Throughput Luciferase Assay to Evaluate Proteolysis of the Single-Turnover Protease PCSK9
08:14

A High-Throughput Luciferase Assay to Evaluate Proteolysis of the Single-Turnover Protease PCSK9

Published on: August 28, 2018

8.7K

Patient Characteristics and Real-World Treatment Patterns Among Early Users of PCSK9 Inhibitors

Pallavi B Rane1, Jeetvan Patel2, David J Harrison2

  • 1Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA. prane@amgen.com.

American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs : Drugs, Devices, and Other Interventions
|August 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) are effective for patients with high LDL-C. Real-world data shows PCSK9i users have more comorbidities and statin intolerance than other lipid-lowering therapy patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) are approved for managing high LDL-C in specific patient groups.
  • These therapies are crucial for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease needing enhanced LDL-C reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize real-world patient profiles on PCSK9i therapy.
  • To describe physician-reported treatment patterns for dyslipidemia patients using PCSK9i versus other lipid-lowering therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from a 2016 US Adelphi dyslipidemia disease-specific programme (DSP) survey.
  • Physicians provided patient data including treatment history, lab values, characteristics, and comorbidities.
  • Systematic oversampling of PCSK9i-treated patients ensured adequate sample size.

Main Results:

  • The study included 159 physicians and 1522 patients (304 PCSK9i, 1218 non-PCSK9i).
  • PCSK9i patients had higher baseline LDL-C (180.0 mg/dl vs 159.2 mg/dl) and higher rates of prior statin use (69.1%) and statin intolerance (31.6%).
  • Common reasons for switching to PCSK9i included lack of efficacy (70.2%) and muscle-related symptoms (myalgia 28.6%, myopathy 11.1%).

Conclusions:

  • Physicians appear to prescribe PCSK9i appropriately in real-world settings.
  • PCSK9i patients exhibited higher cardiovascular comorbidity rates, physician-determined statin intolerance, elevated LDL-C, and received more prior lines of therapy compared to non-PCSK9i patients.
Abstract

More Related Videos

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring08:45

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring

Published on: November 17, 2018

14.2K
Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles09:15

Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles

Published on: November 10, 2017

15.1K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets01:29

Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets

Advances in genomics have profoundly influenced drug discovery by increasing both the speed and accuracy of pharmaceutical development. Pharmacogenomics, which examines how genetic variation influences drug response, facilitates the identification of novel therapeutic targets and enables patient stratification for personalized treatment. These strategies contribute to improved drug efficacy, minimized adverse effects, and more efficient clinical trial design.Mapping genetic differences...
29
Pharmacogenetics of Phase I Enzymes: Cytochrome P450 Isozymes01:28

Pharmacogenetics of Phase I Enzymes: Cytochrome P450 Isozymes

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes are a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases that play a pivotal role in Phase I drug metabolism by catalyzing oxidation and reduction reactions.These enzymes transform lipophilic xenobiotics into more hydrophilic metabolites, facilitating subsequent Phase II conjugation and eventual excretion. The CYP450 family is classified into families (e.g., CYP1–CYP3) and subfamilies (e.g., CYP2A, CYP2C), based on amino acid sequence homology.CYP450...
27
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu01:29

Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu

Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
26
Model-Independent Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Noncompartmental Analysis00:59

Model-Independent Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Noncompartmental Analysis

Noncompartmental analyses offer an alternative method for describing drug pharmacokinetics without relying on a specific compartmental model. In this approach, the drug's pharmacokinetics are assumed to be linear, with the terminal phase log-linear. This assumption allows for simplified analysis and interpretation of the drug's behavior in the body.
One important characteristic of noncompartmental analyses is that drug exposure increases proportionally with increasing doses. This...
367
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
591
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance01:23

Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance

The elimination half-life and drug clearance of drugs following nonlinear kinetics can vary with dosage. The Michaelis-Menten parameters and drug concentration influence these factors. As the dose increases, the elimination half-life tends to lengthen, resulting in a reduction in clearance and a disproportionately larger area under the curve. The total clearance can be derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation for drugs following a one-compartment model.
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
729