Amgen reports positive data from cholesterol drug trial

Amgen has announced positive data from Mendel-2, a new phase III trial of its cholesterol reduction therapy evolocumab.

The drug was able to meet its co-primary endpoints in the study, showing a strong reduction in levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – sometimes known as "bad" cholesterol – after 12 weeks.

Evolocumab is an investigational fully-human monoclonal antibody that functions by inhibiting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, a protein that reduces the liver's ability to remove LDL-C from the blood.

This is the first study in the Proficio clinical trial programme, which will include a total of 13 trials and a combined planned enrollment of more than 28,000 patients.

Dr Sean Harper, executive vice-president of research and development at Amgen, said: "The positive results we have seen with two distinct dosing options suggest that evolocumab may offer a promising approach to treat patients with high cholesterol."

This comes after the company reported encouraging interim overall survival results from a study of its new melanoma drug talimogene laherparepvec last month.