Abbott notes importance of HDL in cholesterol management

Abbott has reported the importance of raising “good” HDL cholesterol as well as reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol in overall cholesterol management.

The firm reports that 80 million people in the US have high levels of LDL cholesterol, with a further 44 million having low levels of HDL cholesterol, which is used by the body to remove LDL from the body.

Earlier this month, the company’s drug Simcor (Niaspan/simvastatin) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in conjunction with diet change to reduce LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.

The approval was based on clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of the compound in over 640 patients with type II hyperlipidemia and dyslipidemia.

Christie Ballantyne, of the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Centre, said: “Managing cholesterol encompasses many factors, not just lowering LDL.

“There is a clear need for medicines that both raise good and comprehensively lower the bad components of cholesterol.”

She added that Simcor provides a new treatment option to help patients looking to achieve healthy levels of lipids.

In November 2007, Abbott announced that Simcor reached its primary endpoint of lowering non-HDL cholesterol, while showing comparable LDL-lowering to simvastatin, an increase in HDL cholesterol and a lowering of triglycerides.