Keeping your heart healthy means watching your cholesterol, and the same goes for those with familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder that can trigger your bad cholesterol to dangerously high levels. A single injection of an experimental drug called VERVE-102 can lower cholesterol levels by up to 69 per cent. VERVE-102 aims to provide a one-time fix by switching off a specific gene called PCSK9 in the liver, which plays a key role in regulating how much LDL cholesterol the liver can detect and remove from the bloodstream.
The clinical trial involved 14 participants with familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that predisposes people to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes due to very high LDL cholesterol levels. Initial results indicate that all participants responded well to the medication, with no serious side effects reported. Overall, the findings highlighted that by silencing the PCSK9 gene without altering DNA, this approach could offer a long-lasting, one-time treatment for high cholesterol. the second half of 2025 The study is expected to announce its final results in
\Source: Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 2025
