FDA Approves a New Cholesterol Lowering Drug: TriLipix

Abbott announced recently that they have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell TriLipix, a new cholesterol lowering drug that can be combined with statins.

Trilipix, or fenobric acid, belongs to the class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as the fibrates. Fibrates have the ability to impact all aspects of your lipid profile - HDL, LDL, and triglycerides - but their claim to fame is their ability to lower triglyceride levels.

While it is uncommon to see fibrates and statins combined together, they are sometimes used in combination for cases of high cholesterol that won't budge with just one cholesterol-lowering drug. This combination can be potentially dangerous and needs to be closely monitored by your healthcare provider. An increase in liver enzymes, muscle pain, and rhabdomyolysis are rare, but can occur when these products are used together.

TriLipix is the first fibrate that is officially approved to be used in combination with a statin. There isn't a lot of information about TriLipix out there yet in terms of its ability to reduce your risk of heart disease, like there is with other fibrates and the statins, but it looks promising. If you want to find out more about this, Abbott has posted its press release about the FDA approval, as well as some information about this new drug.