The less-frequent dosing regimen of Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis AG’s cholesterol therapy, inclisiran, under development in the hands of subsidiary The Medicines Co., positions the small interfering RNA (siRNA) drug to take on marketed proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9)-targeting antibodies as well as statins in the busy therapeutic space. Statins are the gold standard now, but about 80% of patients don’t reach their lipid goals.
Novo Nordisk A/S' Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable version of the company's glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, semaglutide, first FDA-approved in late 2017, has won the agency' approval for a new indication: reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and known heart disease.