Amgen cholesterol drug cuts risk of first cardiac event by 25%

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) -Adding Amgen’s cholesterol drug Repatha to standard therapy reduced major cardiovascular events by 25% for at-risk patients who have never had a heart attack or stroke, according to results from a large study presented on Saturday.

In the study of more than 12,000 patients, detailed at the American Heart Association scientific meeting in New Orleans, the injected drug cut the risk of a first heart attack by 36%.

The results mark the first time a drug in a class known as PCSK9 inhibitors was proven to be effective in primary prevention, opening its use to more patients, Amgen research and development chief Jay Bradner said in an interview.

Repatha also reduced the relative risk of cardiovascular death by 21% in the trial, although that result was not deemed s