Inclisiran – Cholesterol management

Lipids, or fats, are easily stored in your body and serve as a source of energy. Cholesterol is a type of lipid that is made in your liver from the fatty foods that you eat. When the concentration of cholesterol in your blood is too high, it is called hypercholesterolaemia or hyperlipidaemia. Although a high level of cholesterol will not make you feel ill, if left untreated it can lead to narrowing of the arteries, called atherosclerosis (sometimes referred to as ‘hardening of the arteries’). This increases the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

There is also an inherited form of raised cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). People who inherit one or two genes linked to FH are at greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke, regardless of their other risk factors. If you have a strong family history of raised cholesterol or heart disease, you may need to get screened to check if you have FH. You can find out more from our separate leaflet, above.

Cholesterol is carried in the blood by particles called lipoproteins. When low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) carry cholesterol this is referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol. Higher levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood cause the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Inclisiran (Leqvio®) injections lower the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. Inclisiran is a small piece of RNA which is absorbed by liver cells after being injected. Inside the liver cells it interferes with the production of a protein called PCSK9. Reducing PCSK9 levels causes the liver cells to remove more LDL cholesterol from your blood.

In clinical trials, two doses of Inclisiran injection lowered patients’ LDL cholesterol by more than 50% compared to placebo injections. These lower LDL levels were maintained by continuing with treatment.

Inclisiran is used in combination with a cholesterol-lowering diet and is usually given in combination with other lipid-lowering medicines such as the statins (eg, simvastatin, atorvastatin). It is only licensed to be given alone (without statins) if you can’t take statins.