Inclisiran: A Review in Hypercholesterolemia

Inclisiran (Leqvio^®) is a first-in-class, subcutaneously administered, small interfering RNA (siRNA) that prevents hepatic synthesis of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), thereby decreasing circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In the EU, inclisiran is indicated in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia, as an adjunct to diet. It is intended for use in patients unable to reach LDL-C goals on maximally tolerated statin therapy, with or without other lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs). In patients who are statin intolerant or for whom a statin is contraindicated, it can be used with or without other LLTs. In clinical trials, twice-yearly injections of inclisiran (after initial doses at days 1 and 90) approximately halved LDL-C levels in patients with, or at high risk of developing, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who had hypercholesterolemia, irrespective of whether or not their existing treatment included a statin. The safety and tolerability profile of the drug was similar to placebo, although mild to moderate, transient injection-site adverse reactions were more frequent with inclisiran. Pending confirmation of the expected reduction in cardiovascular (CV) events with inclisiran, it is a valuable additional/alternative antihyperlipidemic agent to a statin, as its infrequent maintenance dosing regimen confers a convenience advantage over other non-statin LLTs.