Primary endpoint met in the CLEAR Outcomes Trial of bempedoic acid showing statistically significant relative risk reduction in major adverse CV events

MUNICH–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Daiichi Sankyo Europe, (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) announced today that the primary endpoint was met in the Phase 3 cardiovascular CLEAR (Cholesterol Lowering via Bempedoic acid, an ATP citrate lyase (ACL)-Inhibiting Regimen) Outcomes Trial, demonstrating statistically significant relative risk reduction in major adverse CV events (MACE-4) in patients treated with 180 mg/day bempedoic acid compared to placebo (with no or very low statin background).^1,3

Comprehensive data from the CLEAR Outcomes Trial, led by US-based biotech company Esperion Therapeutics Inc., will be presented at a key medical congress in early 2023 and subsequently submitted to applicable regulatory authorities. The initial findings from the data indicate that bempedoic acid is the first oral, ACL inhibitor known to reduce both LDL-C levels and risk of major adverse CV events.¹ The findings are congruent with previous significant evidence and the latest clinical guidelines highlighting that the lower a person’s LDL-C level, the lower their cardiovascular risk.⁴

“The positive results from the CLEAR Outcomes Trial represents a pivotal step towards reducing the impact of CVD in Europe for patients who are currently at high risk of heart attack and stroke,” said Professor Kausik Ray, Professor of Public Health and President of the European Atherosclerosis Society, Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Director ICTU Global and Deputy Director of the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit at Imperial College London. “I am very excited to see more data from the trial over the coming months and better understand how bempedoic acid can continue to help clinicians bring LDL-C levels of patients to guideline-recommended goals and thus reduce the impact of cholesterol on CV health in Europe.”

“With 10,000 lives lost everyday to CVD in Europe, we are truly encouraged by this new data, which demonstrates that bempedoic acid does reduce the risk of serious CV events for patients who are at high-risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke,”^1,4 said Dr Stefan Seyfried, Vice President Medical Affairs Specialty Medicines, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH. “We look forward to sharing additional analyses and insights, as well as working closely with the scientific and clinical communities, to better understand how the data can support their care for CVD patients across Europe.”

CLEAR Outcomes was a Phase 3, event-driven, randomised, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate whether treatment with bempedoic acid reduced the risk of CV events in patients with or who are at high risk for ASCVD with documented statin intolerance and elevated LDL-C levels (fasting blood LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)).³ The study, which was fully enrolled in August 2019, included 14,014 patients at over 1,200 sites in 32 countries. Patients had at least 36 months of follow-up.³

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About bempedoic acid

Bempedoic acid (commercialised in the European Economic Area, Turkey and Switzerland as NILEMDO^®▼) is a first-in-class, oral treatment which lowers cholesterol, and which can be combined with other oral treatments to help lower cholesterol even further.^2,5 Bempedoic acid inhibits ATP citrate lyase (ACL), an enzyme which is involved in the production of cholesterol in the liver.²

Bempedoic acid has been approved for use in adults with primary hypercholesterolaemia (heterozygous familial and non-familial) or mixed dyslipidaemia, as an adjunct to diet:²

• in combination with a statin or statin with other lipid-lowering therapies in patients unable to reach LDL-C goals with the maximum tolerated dose of a statin, or
• alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering therapies in patients who are statin-intolerant, or for whom a statin is contraindicated.

Bempedoic acid acts on the well-known cholesterol synthesis pathway, upstream of the statin target in the liver, which allows additional LDL-C lowering when added to statin or other lipid-lowering therapies. Due to its unique mechanism of action, bempedoic acid is not activated in skeletal muscle.

Daiichi Sankyo Europe has licensed exclusive commercialisation rights to bempedoic acid in the European Economic Area, Turkey and Switzerland from Esperion and is the full Marketing Authorisation Holder in these territories.

About Daiichi Sankyo

Daiichi Sankyo is dedicated to creating new modalities and innovative medicines by leveraging our world-class science and technology for our purpose “to contribute to the enrichment of quality of life around the world.” In addition to our current portfolio of medicines for cancer and cardiovascular disease, Daiichi Sankyo is primarily focused on developing novel therapies for people with cancer as well as other diseases with high unmet medical needs. With more than 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 16,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation to realise our 2030 Vision to become an “Innovative Global Healthcare Company Contributing to the Sustainable Development of Society.”

For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com

▼ This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring.

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¹ https://www.esperion.com/news-releases/news-release-details/esperion-announces-clear-cardiovascular-outcomes-trial-nexletolr.

² European Medicines Agency. NILEMDO Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/nilemdo-epar-product-information_en.pdf. Last accessed December 2022.

³ Nicholls, S.J., et.al. Rationale and design of the CLEAR-outcomes trial: Evaluating the effect of bempedoic acid on cardiovascular events in patients with statin intolerance. Am Heart J. 2021. 235: 104–112.

⁴ The Task Force for the management of dyslipidaemias of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). ESC/EAS guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemia. Eur Heart J. 2020. 41(1):111–188.

⁵ SwissMedic. NILEMDO (bempedoic acid) Product Information for Human Medicinal Products. Available at: https://www.swissmedic.ch/swissmedic/en/home/about-us/publications/public-summary-swiss-par/public-summary-swiss-par-nilemdo.html. Last accessed December 2022.