New โOral Drug Dramatically Lowers Cholesterol, Offering Potential Choice toโ Injections
Sรฃo Paulo, Brazil – November 16, 2025 – In a potential breakthrough for cardiovascular health, pharmaceutical company Merck has developed an oral medication capable of reducing “bad” cholesterol (LDL) โฃtoโ remarkably lowโข levels, offering a possible alternative to costly and inconvenient โฃinjectable drugs. The pill targets PCSK9,โ aโข protein thatโ prevents the โliver from removing LDL cholesterolโข from the blood.โค
For years, lowering LDL cholesterol has relied heavily on โstatins, but many patients require additional โtherapies to reach recommended levels. Current optionsโค often involve PCSK9 inhibitors, whichโฃ are administered via โฃinjection. โMerck’s new drug, enlicitid, represents a meaningful step towards aโ more accessible and affordableโข treatment.
The challenge in creating a โpill-form PCSK9 inhibitor lay in the sizeโ of theโ molecule. โฃConventional small-molecule drugs are easily absorbed, but PCSK9 inhibitors are largeโ proteins.”Getting a โlargeโ molecule like those in most pills, would be very small,” explained researchers.โ Merck’sโ solution, after aโฃ decade of โresearch, involved creating a circle of peptides – one-hundredth the โคsize โขofโ an antibody but larger than aโ typical smallโค molecule.
“This method could allow researchers โขto create pills that couldโค replace many other injectable medications,” stated Deanโข Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories. Heโ emphasized the โeconomic benefits, noting that pills โคare cheaper to manufacture and transport than injectables, which require refrigeration. Merck aims to โขprice enlicitid competitively, makingโฃ it widely available in the United States and globally, envisioning โa future where taking the โpill is “no different thanโฃ aspirin” or standard โคblood pressure medication.
“The dream is to democratize PCSK9,” โLiโ said. โข”This dream has the possibility of becoming reality.”
Cardiologists are optimistic about the โคpotential impact. “It could be a game changer,” saidโ Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist atโข Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who is not affiliated with Merck. David Maron, โa โpreventative โฃcardiologist at โขStanfordโ University, added, “If they price โthis so peopleโฃ can afford it, it will make a huge difference” for the millions at riskโ of heart attacks and strokes.โ “This is a really crucial advance.”
AstraZeneca is also developing a โคPCSK9 pill, according to Maron, who is involvedโ in monitoring the safety ofโข these drugs in clinical trials.
Merck isโค currently conductingโ aโ large-scale study involving over 14,500 โขparticipants to โฃconfirm that lowering LDL cholesterol withโฃ enlicitid translates into fewerโ heart attacks,strokes,and cardiovascular deaths. The company โplans to submit the drug for U.S. food and Drug Administration approval in early 2026, with anโข anticipated launch inโฃ 2027.
