Genzyme has launched its new non-absorbed cholesterol-lowering agent, colesevelam hydrochloride (CholestagelTM) in Europe for the treatment of adult patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia who cannot meet their target low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels with statin therapies plus diet alone.
The product is a polymer in tablet form that lowers LDL-cholesterol. It can be taken as adjunctive therapy to diet, in combination with other cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, or alone, when statins are inappropriate or not well-tolerated. When combined with statins, colesevelam hydrochloride has been shown to have an additive LDL-cholesterol lowering effect in the range of 8–16%.
