THURSDAY, Feb. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- The oral proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitor enlicitide yields significantly lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels than placebo among participants who have a history of or have a risk for a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event, according to a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Ann Marie Navar, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues conducted a trial involving adults with a history of a major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event with an LDL cholesterol level of 55 mg/dL or higher and those who were at risk for a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event with an LDL cholesterol level of 70 mg/dL or higher. Participants were randomly assigned to receive enlicitide (20 mg) or placebo daily for 52 weeks (1,935 and 969 individuals, respectively).
The researchers found that the mean percent change in LDL cholesterol levels at week 24 was −57.1 and 3.0 percent with enlicitide and placebo, respectively, representing an adjusted between-group difference of −55.8 percentage points. Compared with placebo, significantly greater mean percent change in LDL cholesterol level at week 52, mean percent changes in non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels at week 24, and percent change in lipoprotein(a) levels at week 24 were seen with enlicitide. There was no between-group difference observed in the incidence of adverse events.
"These reductions in LDL cholesterol are the most we have ever achieved with an oral drug by far since the development of statins," Navar said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to MSD, which manufactures enlicitide and funded the study.