Anti-PCSK9 antibody effectively lowers cholesterol in patients with statin intolerance: The GAUSS-2 randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial of evolocumab

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous evolocumab compared with oral ezetimibe in hypercholesterolemic patients who are unable to tolerate effective statin doses. Background Statin intolerance, which is predominantly due to muscle-related side effects, is reported in up to 10% to 20% of patients. Evolocumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), demonstrated marked reductions in plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in a phase 2 study in statin-intolerant patients. Methods The GAUSS-2 (Goal Achievement after Utilizing an Anti-PCSK9 Antibody in Statin Intolerant Subjects) trial was a 12-week, double-blind study of randomized patients (2:2:1:1) to evolocumab 140 mg every two weeks (Q2W) or evolocumab 420 mg once monthly (QM) both with daily oral placebo or subcutaneous placebo Q2W or QM both with daily oral ezetimibe 10 mg. Co-primary endpoints were percent change from baseline in LDL-C at the mean of weeks 10 and 12, and at week 12. Results Three hundred seven patients (age 62 ± 10 years; LDL-C 193 ± 59 mg/dl) were randomized. Evolocumab reduced LDL-C from baseline by 53% to 56%, corresponding to treatment differences versus ezetimibe of 37% to 39% (p