Eli Lilly bucks the down market on a case for wider coverage of its weight-loss drug
CNBCJul 24
Study: Eli Lilly Pill Cuts Genetic High Cholesterol 86%
Above: The Eli Lilly & Co. logo at the company's Digital Health Innovation Hub facility in Singapore, on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. Image copyright: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
Cholesterol pill Muvalaplin, newly developed by US drug company Eli Lilly, has been shown to lower lipoprotein(a) — or Lp(a) — by 70% using regular blood tests and by 85.8% using a new blood test developed by the company called "intact lipoprotein(a) assay."
Lp(a), for which there is no current Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment, is an inherited form of cholesterol that raises the risk of cardiovascular disease. Muvalaplin is reportedly the first oral medication to lower Lp(a) levels.
The Spin
Narrative A
These studies are paramount given the lack of medications for Lp(a) cholesterol, not to mention at least one-fifth of the world currently dealing with dangerous Lp(a) levels. The medical field must ramp up diagnostic screenings and, hopefully by the time people know they have it, pharmaceutical remedies will be available to prevent patients from having strokes or heart attacks.
Narrative B
While proven medications are welcome news, their effectiveness may not be as successful as hoped given the current US medical establishment's Lp(a) screening guidelines. Americans should be encouraged to screen earlier in life, before any cardiovascular events even occur. People should also be encouraged to monitor their weight, diets, and other lifestyle habits.