The most powerful cholesterol drugs are not statins. They are PCSK9 inhibitors — and they have been around fas injections for a decade.
That changes with Lipfendra, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July. Made by Merck and known generically as enlicitide, it is the first PCSK9 inhibitor that comes as a daily pill instead of a shot.
It works differently from a statin. Rather than slowing how much cholesterol the liver makes, it blocks a protein called PCSK9, which frees the liver to pull more LDL — the “bad” cholesterol — out of the blood. In a late-stage trial it lowered LDL by up to 60 percent over 24 weeks, according to Merck.
The list price is $10.50 a day. That is far below the roughly $500 a month the injectable versions can run, but it still comes to about $315 a month.
Allyson Good curates senior living, health, and family content. She is formerly the Managing Editor of Active Life, a print newspaper published in 2016-2017 for seniors, choosing practical articles on health, money, safety, and everyday living for older readers. She is also an avid gardener and offers up Garden Hints and Tips on a regular basis.
