Phase III clinical study results with a nicotinic acid/laropiprant combination (Tredaptive®), show that in the treatment of patients with dyslipidaemia and primary hypercholesterolaemia, this new lipid-modifying therapy produced less flushing compared with those patients who were treated with extended-release nicotinic acid (Int J Clin Pract 2008;62:1959–70).
Treatment with 2 g of the nicotinic acid/laropiprant combination produced a significant 18% reduction from baseline in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and a 26% reduction in triglycerides compared to placebo across weeks 12-24. In addition, patients treated with the combination experienced significantly less flushing compared with those treated with extended-release nicotinic acid (0.2 days/week versus 0.7 days/week respectively).
Some 69% of patients treated with 1 g of the combination reported either no flushing symptoms, or mild flushing symptoms during the first week of treatment, compared to 44% of those who received extended-release nicotinic acid alone. More than twice as many patients on extended release nicotinic acid (22%) discontinued treatment due to flushing compared with those patients taking the combination (10%).
The nicotinic acic/laropiprant combination has recently received EU marketing authorisation.
