Unlocking the Secrets of Lp(a) Therapies

Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) is a genetic risk factor for heart disease and aortic valve problems. It's mostly inherited and can't be easily controlled with common medications. But new RNA-based treatments are giving scientists hope to target and lower Lp(a) levels.

Five powerful treatments are in late-stage development. One of them, Pelacarsen, uses a special molecule to reduce Lp(a) by 80%. It's being tested in a phase 3 trial, and results are expected in late 2026. Other treatments, like olpasiran and lepodisiran, use small RNA molecules to lower Lp(a) by up to 96%. Muvalaplin is an oral medicine that blocks the formation of Lp(a) particles and reduces their levels by up to 85.8%. CRISPR/Cas9 is a gene editing tool that targets the LPA gene and has entered phase 1 studies.

All these treatments have shown good safety results so far. If they work well in clinical trials, they could lead to new treatments for millions of people at risk of heart disease. Recent guidelines now recommend measuring Lp(a) levels in everyone, as more effective treatments become available in the next few years.

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