{"id":1715,"date":"2026-10-14T13:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-sciencefocus\/?p=1715"},"modified":"2026-10-14T13:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:32:14","slug":"this-landmark-new-cholesterol-treatment-can-cut-levels-by-half-after-one-dose-say-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-sciencefocus\/2026\/10\/14\/this-landmark-new-cholesterol-treatment-can-cut-levels-by-half-after-one-dose-say-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"This landmark new cholesterol treatment can cut levels by half after one dose, say experts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This landmark new cholesterol treatment can cut levels by half after one dose, say experts<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

A single dose of a gene-editing treatment may be as effective as a year\u2019s worth of statin pills \u2013 but who will get to benefit from it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Steph Santos Paulo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Cholesterol
Picture credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A single injection of an experimental gene-editing therapy has slashed \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol levels by half for a full year, a new study<\/a> has found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 15 participants received an injection of a drug known as CTX310, they still had reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol one year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those receiving the highest dose saw a 53 per cent decrease in their LDL cholesterol, making one dose of CTX310 roughly as effective as a year\u2019s worth of daily statin pills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronically high levels of LDL cholesterol, sometimes labelled \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol, lead to furring up of blood vessel walls<\/a> which in turn increases the risk of heart attacks<\/a> and strokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the most commonly prescribed medication for high cholesterol<\/a> are oral statins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe issue with a statin is you have to take a pill every day of your life,\u201d says Prof Steve Humphries, a cardiovascular genetics expert at University College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Close-up
It’s hard to beat statins when it comes to cost. Picture credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo the big advantage of a one-off treatment is: that\u2019s it. You don\u2019t have to worry about any of that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CTX310 works by permanently switching off a gene in the liver called ANGPTL3. This reduces levels of fatty molecules in the blood including cholesterol and triglycerides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s still early days for the drug, which has to be tested in long-term safety trials before it can be approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But once we know they\u2019re safe, could gene-editing therapies like CTX310 replace statins \u2013 one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem of cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t expect statins to disappear just yet. Experts say a cheap, proven pill is hard to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you have a global population of eight billion people and the number one cause of death is cardiovascular disease, you\u2019re trying to find a cost-effective way of reducing that,\u201d says Prof Kosh Ray, a cardiologist and public health expert at Imperial College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiven that statins are pretty safe and well-tolerated by the majority, it\u2019s going to be statins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucially, adds Humphries, statins are \u201cas cheap as anything\u201d, with each tablet \u201ccosting almost nothing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite gene-editing therapy needing to be given only once, the process of doing so is resource-intensive for a health service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"IV
Infusions ar used to administer medications straight to the body, normally through a needle or catheter. Picture credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You have to bring the patient in for an infusion, not only of the drug, but of additional medications needed to prevent your immune system reacting to the treatment, explains Ray. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this requires outpatient clinics and staff with the necessary equipment and training to deliver the treatment. He is doubtful that creating this infrastructure would be feasible at the moment, at least in the UK where he works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can tell me if you think we can do that for three million people in this country, even if it\u2019s once in a lifetime,\u201d says Ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though statins have to be taken daily for life, he estimates that they are still \u201cprobably cheaper\u201d. And the benefit of a long-term treatment is that the cost is spread over time, rather than being paid upfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read More:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n