Comparative efficacy of non-statin lipid-lowering therapies in patients with hypercholesterolemia at increased cardiovascular risk: a network meta-analysis

• Published in: Current medical research and opinion Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 777 - 784
• Main Authors: Burnett, Heather, Fahrbach, Kyle, Cichewicz, Allie, Jindal, Ramandeep, Tarpey, Jialu, Durand, Adeline, Di Domenico, Maximiliano, Reichelt, Andreas, Viljoen, Adie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 04.05.2022
• Subjects: Anticholesteremic Agents - adverse effects; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; Bayes Theorem; Cardiovascular Diseases - drug therapy; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, LDL; Ezetimibe - therapeutic use; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - complications; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Hyperlipidemias - drug therapy; LDL-C; Network Meta-Analysis; PCSK-9 inhibitor; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome; Hypercholesterolemia; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; LDL-C; PCSK-9 inhibitor
• ISSN: 0300-7995; 1473-4877
• DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2049164

Network meta-analysis was used to derive estimates of the relative efficacy of inclisiran, evolocumab, alirocumab, bempedoic acid, and ezetimibe in patients with hypercholesterolemia and/or at increased cardiovascular risk due to elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol taking maximum tolerated dose statins. Clinical trials published through February 2021 comparing percent change from baseline in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were identified via a systematic review. Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or high cardiovascular risk on maximally tolerated statins in the base case, which included 23 trials. Results from the base-case analyses demonstrated that inclisiran, evolocumab, and alirocumab provide superior efficacy over placebo, bempedoic acid, and ezetimibe in terms of reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Inclisiran was also comparable to alirocumab (mean difference: 0.78% [95% CrI: −8.35, 9.88]) and evolocumab (8.16%, [95% CrI: −1.82, 18.49]). Findings of a scenario which also included trials conducted in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia were consistent with the base case. There was evidence of statistical heterogeneity across the included trials, roughly equivalent to variation of 5-10% change in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, suggesting that any differences between treatments that were greater than 5-10% are generalizable. This study provides insight regarding the comparative efficacy of drugs for which no head-to-head trials exist and suggests that inclisiran, alirocumab, and evolocumab are expected to provide similar clinically meaningful improvements in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with hypercholesterolemia on maximally tolerated statins who are at increased cardiovascular risk.