RNA-based drug plozasiran could help lower cholesterol in people with naturally high levels

A drug which can be given by injection four times a year can help lower cholesterol and other blood fat levels in people with genetically high levels in their blood, according to an early-stage clinical trial. The drug, Plozasiran, is an RNA interference drug which uses small pieces of RNA that bind to RNA that is naturally in the body and code for a specific protein, by binding to that RNA the drug stops it from being able to make the protein, in this case, a protein called apolipoprotein C3. The researchers found that quarterly injections of the drug were able to further lower cholesterol levels in people already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins).  The researchers say this trial has helped in laying the groundwork for a more extensive trial in the future. A second study on a similar drug which acts on a different protein is also being published by the same journal.