The drug maker Merck says it's developed a new daily cholesterol pill that can dramatically lower LDL, or bad cholesterol. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Celine Gounder explains what to know.

Pennsylvania

Merck has introduced Enlicitide, a new oral medication shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by nearly 60% at 24 weeks when used alongside statins, according to a study involving almost 3,000 participants. Unlike existing injectable PCSK9 inhibitors, Enlicitide is taken as a daily pill, potentially making cholesterol management more accessible for patients who prefer not to use injections.

The study, funded and conducted by Merck, has not yet been published or peer reviewed, and only measured cholesterol reduction rather than prevention of heart attacks or strokes. Merck plans to submit Enlicitide for FDA approval in early 2026, with a possible launch in 2027, though the cost and broader clinical impact remain unknown.

New pill could help millions struggling with cholesterol

In this morning's Health Watch, promising news for Americans living with heart disease or at risk for a severe cardiovascular event. Drug maker Merck says it's developed a new daily cholesterol pill that can dramatically lower the LDL or the bad cholesterol, as it's known. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Selene Gounder is editor at large for public health at KFF. Health News has sorted it all out for us. So it's my understanding, Selene, the drug is not approved yet by the FDA. So how effective is it? Why is this exciting news for people? So this new drug that Merck tested, Enlicitide, sorry, I'm having trouble pronouncing it myself. It looks to be as effective as injectable drugs like Repatha and Proluent, which are injectable drugs for control of cholesterol. But this is an oral drug. So for some people who don't want to inject themselves at home, for whom it would be a barrier to have to go into a clinic to have it injected. The idea of having something you can take by mouth is a big deal. Now in terms of what it's every day, it would be every day. But what the study findings show, they looked at almost 3000 people. The reduction in cholesterol was almost 60% at 24 weeks of being on this drug. This is in addition to taking a statin. And the statin, because I'm on a statin, you have to take it every day too. What's the difference between the statin that you take every day and this one? Well they work differently. So the statins work by preventing the synthesis, the production of cholesterol in the liver. So the LDL, bad cholesterol. The PCSK9 drugs, which that's what we're talking about now with Enlicitide, those medications block a specific enzyme, well the PCSK9. So it's a different mechanism of action. In terms of side effects, you do sometimes have side effects with the statins, most commonly muscle cramping pain. They did not see any increased side effects with this new drug compared to placebo. But this was just announced at a conference. We have not seen the data yet. It hasn't been published or peer reviewed. We're told it's been accepted by the New England Journal of Medicine. But I think you have to be a little cautious. This was funded and conducted by Merck. Until we see that data, you have to be a little skeptical. And then there are other things in terms of the study. They only looked at the LDL numbers. They didn't actually look at did it prevent heart attack and stroke. And ultimately, that's what matters here. So do we expect this to be approved by the FDA and then how much will it cost? Well we expect Merck to submit this for approval to the FDA in early 2026 and Merck is hoping to launch the drug in 27. We have no idea how much this is going to cost. And if it's not a big reduction compared to the injectables, that's going to be an issue as well. So don't you think we need to know a little bit more about the study? It's always a little, it gives me a little pause when the person that's, the company that's given the study says, hey, this works. You need to get it. 100% agree with that. You need to be a little skeptical. All right. Thank you, Dr. Gallagher.

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