ACC.24 — Dr Brian Bergmark (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, US) joins us in this interview to discuss the findings of a study into olezarsen, previously known as AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx, in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), with or without severe hypertriglyceridemia (NCT05355402).

This multicenter, randomized, double-blind study included 152 participant with hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides > 150mg/dL) and established or increased risk of ASCVD. The study involved an 8-week screening period, a 23-week treatment period and a 13-week follow-up period. Patients were randomized 1:1 to recieve either olezarsen adminstered by injection once every 4 weeks, or placebo.

Findings suggest that in patients with moderate hypertriglyceridemia and elevated cardiovascular risk, 50mg or 80mg olezarsen monthly significantly reduced triglyceride levels, as well as meaningful reductions in apolipoprotein B and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, both of which are markers of atherogenic risk.

Interview Questions: 

1. What is the reasoning behind this study?
2. Could you tell us the mechanism of action of olezarsen
3. What was the patient population and study design?
4. What are the key findings?
5. What are the implications of these findings on clinical practice?
6. Where are the knowledge gaps?
7. What are the next steps?

Recorded onsite at the ACC Conference in Atlanta, 2024.