Cholesterol drug may offer 'new treatment' alternative to statins - key details

Need to know Cholesterol drug may offer 'new treatment' alternative to statins - key details Scientists have discovered a previously hidden biological mechanism Need to know: new cholesterol-lowering drug could offer hope beyond statins - Scientists have discovered a potential breakthrough alternative to statins that could help millions manage dangerously high cholesterol levels. - Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered how elevated cholesterol dismantles the liver's natural defences against harmful LDL or "bad" cholesterol. - The team identified a previously hidden biological mechanism that gradually undermines the body's capacity to eliminate cholesterol from the bloodstream. They've also pinpointed a drug candidate that has already been proven safe in humans. - Study senior author Professor Alan Saltiel said: "We've known for a long time that a high-cholesterol diet reduces the liver's ability to clear cholesterol from the blood, but we didn't fully understand why." - The breakthrough study, published in Nature journal, found that blocking a specific enzyme called cathepsin A could "dramatically lower" circulating LDL cholesterol in mice. Prof Saltiel explained: "There's still a real need for new cholesterol-lowering options, since some people can't get to safe levels even with the drugs we have now." - Luckily, an experimental drug that targets this pathway has already progressed through early safety trials for heart failure treatment. Prof Saltiel added: "Luckily, there's an experimental drug sitting on the shelf that's already been shown to be safe in humans." - The discovery could bring new treatment options to patients much sooner than expected, offering hope to those who struggle with current medications like Atorvastatin and Simvastatin. - READ THE FULL STORY: Cholesterol drug find could offer alternative to statins - 'new treatment option'