FDA approves new kind of cholesterol pill

Heart HealthFDA approves new kind of cholesterol pill Merck’s pill, called Lipfendra, is a PCSK9 inhibitor, which works in a different way than a statin to lower cholesterol.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Merck's cholesterol pill, Lipfendra, works by blocking a protein called PCSK9, which plays a vital role in regulating cholesterol levels.Matt Rourke / AP fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 16, 2026, 8:59 AM EDT / Updated July 16, 2026, 12:28 PM EDTBy Sara G. MillerThe Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new cholesterol pill from Merck that works in a different way than statins.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The daily pill, called Lipfendra, is known as a PCSK9 inhibitor — a class of powerful cholesterol-lowering medications that had previously only been available as injections. The drug was approved for people with hypercholesterolemia, or high levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol. About one in four adults in the U.S. have high LDL cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Too much LDL cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.In one late-stage clinical trial, Merck found that Lipfendra lowered LDL cholesterol levels by up to 60% after 24 weeks. In a second trial, people with a genetic condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia — which causes sky-high cholesterol from birth — saw similar reductions. Nearly all of the people in the trials were already taking a statin, and many were also taking a different cholesterol-lowering drug, ezetimibe.In March, a group of major medical organizations including the AHA and the American College of Cardiology released new guidelines urging more aggressive treatment of cholesterol. People without heart disease risk factors should aim to get their LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL, people at high risk should aim...