IMR Press / RCM / Volume 15 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.3909/ricm0735

Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine (RCM) is published by IMR Press from Volume 19 Issue 1 (2018). Previous articles were published by another publisher in Open Access under a CC-BY (or CC-BY-NC-ND) licence, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with MedReviews, LLC.

Open Access Review
Lomitapide for the Management of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia
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1 Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2014, 15(2), 109–118; https://doi.org/10.3909/ricm0735
Published: 30 June 2014
Abstract
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare genetic disorder of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) metabolism resulting in extremely elevated serum levels of LDL-C and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Treatment typically involves multiple pharmacologic agents, as well as mechanical filtration using weekly or biweekly LDL apheresis. Despite combination lipid-lowering therapy, LDL-C levels and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high in HoFH patients. The European Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of lomitapide, a novel medication designed to address this significant unmet need. Lomitapide is an orally administered inhibitor of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein that is indicated as an adjunct to a low-fat diet and other lipid-lowering treatments, including LDL apheresis where available for the reduction of LDL-C, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adult patients with HoFH. The risks of transaminase elevations, hepatic steatosis, and gastrointestinal side effects, and the potential for drug interactions, require vigilant examination of the clinical and laboratory data and patient counseling prior to initiation of lomitapide, as well as regular monitoring during follow-up care. This article highlights important practical considerations for the use of lomitapide in the context of the evaluation and management of a HoFH patient case.
Keywords
Atherosclerosis
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
Lomitapide
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein
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