Emerging Fixed-Dose Combination Treatments for Hyperlipidemia

Abstract

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets may not be achieved by statin monotherapy, especially in high-risk patients. Furthermore, in some patient subgroups, atherogenic dyslipidemia is observed. As a result, a combination of a statin with other hypolipidemic drugs may have additional benefits, especially in the form of a single tablet. The aim of this review is to present the novel fixed-dose drug combinations for the management of hyperlipidemia. Statins, ezetimibe, and fibrates have established their efficacy and safety in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Clinical trials have shown that these hypolipidemic drug classes can be safely combined in order to augment the lipid-lowering efficacy. Furthermore, novel hypolipidemic drugs such as bembedoic acid and berberine have shown some promising initial results. The combination of different hypolipidemic regimens in a fixed-dose formulation can enhance the adherence to hypolipidemic treatment leading to improved outcomes. Moreover, complementary mechanisms of action of the combined hypolipidemic drugs may also provide additional benefits such as improvement in carbohydrate metabolism. As a result, fixed-dose combinations of hypolipidemic agents may provide an attractive option for the effective and safe management of hypercholesterolemia.

Keywords: atorvastatin; bembedoic acid; berberine; ezetimibe; fenofibrate; fixed-dose drug combinations; hydroxychloroquine; hyperlipidemia; rosuvastatin.