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Anacetrapib reduces risk of serious cardiovascular events in high risk patients on statins (REVEAL)

Barcelona, Spain – 29 Aug 2017: Anacetrapib, an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, lowers the risk of heart attack and related cardiovascular complications in patients receiving intensive statin treatment, according to late-breaking results from the REVEAL trial presented today in a Hot Line Session at ESC Congress (1) and published in the NEJM.

Patients with prior vascular disease remain at high risk of cardiovascular events despite intensive statin treatment to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Anacetrapib increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol, but until now it was unknown if this translated into fewer cardiovascular events.

The REVEAL trial2 assessed the efficacy and safety of adding anacetrapib versus placebo to effective doses of atorvastatin in 30 449 men and women aged 50 years or older with vascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke. They were recruited from more than 400 hospitals in the UK, USA, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia.

All participants were given intensive treatment with atorvastatin (a commonly prescribed statin) to ensure good control of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Participants were randomly allocated to receive anacetrapib (100 mg daily) or a matching placebo for an average of four years. Information was recorded on cardiovascular events, death, cancer, reasons for hospital admission, and a range of other health-related outcomes relevant to the safety and efficacy of anacetrapib.

The primary outcome was the occurrence of a major coronary event, including heart attack, coronary revascularisation (coronary stenting or bypass surgery), or death from heart disease.

The investigators found that adding anacetrapib to intensive statin treatment produced a 9% proportional reduction in the incidence of the primary outcome compared to placebo (risk ratio [RR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85–0.97; p=0.004). In subsidiary analyses, anacetrapib significantly reduced the composite outcome of coronary death or myocardial infarction as well as coronary revascularisation. There was no significant effect on ischaemic stroke. Adding anacetrapib to statin therapy produced a small reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.

Adding anacetrapib to statin therapy reduced LDL cholesterol levels by at least 20% and doubled the level of HDL cholesterol. Anacetrapib was well tolerated and, as has been found previously, levels of the drug in body fat continued to increase during treatment. There were no major safety signals and no increase in death, cancer or other serious medical events, but there was a small increase in blood pressure and a small reduction in kidney function.

The trial’s co-principal investigator Prof Martin Landray of University of Oxford said: “The REVEAL trial has shown for the first time that adding anacetrapib to intensive statin therapy reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events in high risk patients. The scale of reduction was similar to other LDL cholesterol lowering drugs, such as statins. The large increase in HDL cholesterol levels produced by anacetrapib did not appear to have much impact on risk.”

He added: “These findings are in marked contrast to the disappointing results of previous trials of other CETP inhibitors which were stopped after about two years due to unexpected hazards or an apparent lack of efficacy.”

Dr Louise Bowman, the other co-principal investigator of REVEAL, explained: “The REVEAL trial recruited around twice as many participants as any other trial of a CETP inhibitor, collected information on double the number of cardiovascular events, and gave CETP treatment for twice as long. The full effects of anacetrapib did not appear until after the first year. A similar pattern has been observed in randomised trials of statin therapy. Consequently, previous trials of CETP inhibitors may have been too short for any benefits to emerge.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

SOURCES OF FUNDING: The trial was funded by MSD, the British Heart Foundation, and the Medical Research Council. Within the UK, the REVEAL trial sites received support from the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network.

DISCLOSURES: TheREVEAL trial was designed and conducted by independent investigators (supported by the British Heart Foundation and Medical Research Council) in the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, in collaboration with the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, along with other members of the independent academic Steering Committee and MSD (known as Merck in the USA and Canada). MSD also funded the trial and provided the study drugs.

The Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford receives support from the UK Medical Research Council (which funds the MRC Population Health Research Unit in a strategic partnership with the University of Oxford) and the British Heart Foundation. The Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees, either to staff or the institution, directly or indirectly from industry.

References and notes

1The study “Clinical effects of anacetrapib in people with established vascular disease: Results of the Randomized Evaluation of the Effects of Anacetrapib through Lipid-modification (HPS3/TIMI55-REVEAL) trial” will be presented during:

  • The press conference Hot Line - Late Breaking Clinical Trials 4 on Monday 28 August from 13:00 to 14:00.
  • The session Hot Line - Late Breaking Clinical Trials 4 on Tuesday 29 August from 08:30 to 10:00 in Barcelona – Main Auditorium.

2Randomized EValuation of the Effects of Anacetrapib through Lipid Modification (REVEAL) trial

 

About the European Society of Cardiology

The European Society of Cardiology brings together health care professionals from more than 140 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people lead longer, healthier lives.

 

About ESC Congress 2017

ESC Congress is the world’s largest and most influential cardiovascular event contributing to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries. ESC Congress 2017 takes place 26 to 30 August at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. The scientific programme is here. More information is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org.