Cholesterol drug may offer ‘new treatment’ alternative to statins – key details – The Mirror
Need to know
Scientists have discovered a previously hidden biological mechanism
15:41, 26 Jun 2026Updated 15:42, 26 Jun 2026
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Need to know: new cholesterol-lowering drug could offer hope beyond statins
Scientists have discovered a potential breakthrough alternative to statins that could help millions manage dangerously high cholesterol levels.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered how elevated cholesterol dismantles the liver’s natural defences against harmful LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
The team identified a previously hidden biological mechanism that gradually undermines the body’s capacity to eliminate cholesterol from the bloodstream. They’ve also pinpointed a drug candidate that has already been proven safe in humans.
Study senior author Professor Alan Saltiel said: “We’ve known for a long time that a high-cholesterol diet reduces the liver’s ability to clear cholesterol from the blood, but we didn’t fully understand why.”
The breakthrough study, published in Nature journal, found that blocking a specific enzyme called cathepsin A could “dramatically lower” circulating LDL cholesterol in mice. Prof Saltiel explained: “There’s still a real need for new cholesterol-lowering options, since some people can’t get to safe levels even with the drugs we have now.”
Luckily, an experimental drug that targets this pathway has already progressed through early safety trials for heart failure treatment. Prof Saltiel added: “Luckily, there’s an experimental drug sitting on the shelf that’s already been shown to be safe in humans.”
The discovery could bring new treatment options to patients much sooner than expected, offering hope to those who struggle with current medications like Atorvastatin and Simvastatin.
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