Until recently, the medical community anticipated a breakthrough in heart disease treatment. Three pharmaceutical companies were running extensive clinical trials on drugs meant to lower a blood protein known as Lp(a), which was believed to contribute to heart attacks and strokes.
Cardiologists had high hopes for these drugs, expecting them to be as impactful as statins in heart disease prevention. However, the results from Novartis’ trial, announced on a Friday after market close, left experts puzzled. Even though the drug successfully reduced Lp(a) levels by 80 percent, it did not prevent heart attacks or strokes.
“There’s something we don’t understand here,” stated Dr. John Alexander, a cardiologist at Duke.
The complexity arises because cardiologists often encounter patients who suffer heart attacks despite not having traditional risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or smoking habits. Many of these patients, however, show elevated levels of Lp(a).
About 20 percent of the U.S. population has high Lp(a) levels, and individuals with the greatest concentrations face up to three times the risk of heart attacks. Given its significance, medical professionals believed that managing Lp(a) could offer these patients added protection.
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