UK Government, Novartis Collaborate on Clinical Trial for New Cholesterol Treatment

According to a Jan. 13, 2020 press release, the United Kingdom’s government announced it will be collaborating with Novartis on the launch of a clinical trial for the company’s new cholesterol treatment, Inclisiran. 

Tens of thousands of patients in the UK considered to be at risk of heart disease will be offered the treatment, which is yet to be approved. The large-scale National Health Service clinical trial is expected to start later in 2020.

“As Health Secretary, I’m determined find ways to save as many lives as possible, and to do my best to stop terrible conditions like heart disease from taking people from their family and friends far too soon,” said Matt Hancock, UK’s health and social care secretary, in the press release. “This partnership is fantastic news and is a huge stride forward in helping to achieve this. This collaboration has the potential to save 30,000 lives over the next 10 years and is proof that the UK continues to be the world-leading destination for revolutionary healthcare.”

“Novartis has a unique opportunity with Inclisiran to use innovative population based approaches to open up a new chapter for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the world’s leading cause of mortality and disability,” added Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, in the press release. “Novartis is excited to partner with the UK government to leverage innovative models that could potentially lead to generating leading scientific evidence, accelerate access for patients and ensure continuous improvement in manufacturing efficiency and optimization.”

Inclisiran is a bi-annual injection that is expected to be filed for approval later in 2020. The anticipated indication will be as a preventative add-on treatment to statins for patients that have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. 

Source: Gov.uk