Amgen's olpasiran helps reduce cholesterol level in patients with heart condition in trial
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Amgen's (NASDAQ:AMGN) olpasiran helped reduce a type of bad cholesterol in a phase 2 trial.
The study, dubbed OCEAN(a), evaluated olpasiran (formerly AMG 890) against placebo in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and elevated Lipoprotein(Lp) (a) levels to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
The study involved 281 adult patients with Lp(a) levels over 150 nmol/L and evidence of ASCVD. Olpasiran was given up to 225 mg subcutaneously every 12 weeks to patients with a median baseline Lp(a) of ~260 nmol/L.
Lipoprotein (a) is a type of Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also called bad cholesterol, which contains a protein called apolipoprotein (a). Atherosclerosis is thickening of the arteries due to buildup of plaque in their inner lining.
Amgen notes that olpasiran is a small interfering RNA designed to lower the body's production of (a), which is a key component of Lp(a) that has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
The company said data showed a significant reduction from baseline in Lp(a) of up to or greater than 90% at week 36 (main goal) and week 48 (end of treatment period) for the majority of doses.
Amgen (AMGN) noted that data from the trial will be presented at a future medical congress and submitted for publication.