NHS Cholesterol lowering drug could save thousands of lives

The drug has been described as a potential “game-changer”, and is hoped it could save 30,000 lives over the next decade.

The drug, Inclisiran, has the potential to prevent 55,000 heart attacks and strokes, preventing countless early deaths.

The treatment will be given to people with high cholesterol or mixed dyslipidaemia – abnormally high levels of fats in their blood – who have already had a heart attack or stroke, under draft final guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NHS England said the drug will be rolled out at unprecedented scale after the health service and manufacturer struck a deal that enables use of Inclisiran at a cost-effective price.

Studies show that more than two in five people in England have high cholesterol. This puts people at a much more significant risk of developing heart disease.

Heart disease accounts for around a quarter of deaths in England each year, NHS England said.

Inclisiran will be administered as an injection by nurses in GP surgeries across England. The initial dose will be followed by another three months later, and then twice a year thereafter.

Inclisirian is the first of a new type of cholesterol-lowering treatment that used RNA interference to help the liver remove harmful cholesterol from the blood.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice)  have said that evidence from clinical trials has shown that it might lower levels when other treatments have not reduced them enough.

The health watchdog have said while there is no long-term evidence yet on Inclisiran’s effect on cardiovascular outcomes, it is considered cost-effective in people who have previously had a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke and whose cholesterol levels stayed high even after being given other therapies.

Nice have also said the drug is recommended for use in research trials of people who have never had a cardiovascular event.

NHS England and NHS Improvement estimates that around 300,000 people will have received the drug in three years’ time, helping to prevent 55,000 heart attacks and strokes, and potentially saving 30,000 lives in the next decade.

Meindert Boysen, Nice deputy chief executive and director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: “Inclisiran represents a potential game-changer in preventing thousands of people from dying prematurely from heart attacks and strokes.

“We’re therefore pleased to be able to recommend it as a cost-effective option on the NHS supported by the ground-breaking deal between NHS England and NHS Improvement and Novartis – a deal that could see as many as 300,000 people with high cholesterol or mixed dyslipidaemia who have already had a previous cardiovascular event receive the drug over the next three years.”

Cutting edge treatment

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The NHS is committed to using cutting-edge treatments to save and improve patients’ lives.

“Heart disease is still one of the major killer conditions so it is fantastic that we now have such an effective and convenient treatment for those living with dangerously high cholesterol levels.

“This world-leading deal for the rollout of inclisiran will save lives and enable hundreds of thousands of people to benefit from this revolutionary treatment, while also being fair to taxpayers.”

NHS England have said the deal between the NHS and the drugmakers, Novartis, could see nearly half a million people benefit from this treatment.

Jules Payne, chief executive of cholesterol charity Heart UK, said: “High cholesterol is very common and a major cause of cardiovascular disease, but the lack of symptoms means the first sign of the problem is often a heart attack.

“Heart UK aims to save lives and keep families together, and we welcome this new innovative medicine as an additional tool in the armour against cardiovascular disease