The FDA has approved Esperion Therapeutics' drug, Nexletol, the first oral non-statin approved to treat high cholesterol in nearly 20 years, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Nexletol is a once daily pill made of bempedoic acid that is designed to be an alternative treatment method for millions of patients that either can't take or don't respond well to statins.
Statins are a type of drug commonly used to lower cholesterol, but have been found to have serious adverse effects, such as an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Nexletol is approved for patients with chronically high LDL-C, which can cause heart attack or stroke, or for people genetically predisposed to very high cholesterol levels, the Journal reported.
Nearly 100 million Americans have high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.
Analysts predict the drug will bring in more than $1 billion in sales for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Esperion, according to the Journal.
Esperion hasn't disclosed the price of Nexletol, but some analysts told the Journal they expect it to be about $3,500 annually before discounts or insurance. The drug is set to launch in late March.
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