Microbia starts study of novel cholesterol treatment

This is the first molecule to enter clinical testing from Microbia’s cardiovascular research program. The objectives of the phase I program are to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic activity of MD-0727 in healthy volunteers.

In preclinical testing using predictive hypercholesterolemia models, MD- 0727 has proven to be a potent inhibitor of cholesterol absorption. Microbia scientists designed MD-0727 to directly inhibit cholesterol transport at the intestinal surface while limiting systemic exposure. The minimal systemic exposure of MD-0727 could potentially translate into safety and efficacy advantages for patients.

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors (CAIs) work in a unique manner compared with traditional cholesterol medications known as statins. CAIs reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from the digestive tract, whereas statins inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver. Studies have shown combining CAIs with statins can result in greater cholesterol lowering than is achieved using either therapy alone.