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Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Policosanol

NCT00288483 · Status: TERMINATED · Phase: PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Last updated 2006-07-21

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Despite undeniable progress in the reduction of morbidity and mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention is a mainstay for medical intervention. The importance of elevated serum cholesterol for the formation and progress of CHD can be regarded as proved after the results of the major intervention studies became available. These studies have provided key evidence for a positive correlation of lipid lowering and decreased mortality. Other studies in patients with established CHD have shown that stabilization and regression of atherosclerotic lesions is possible with lowering of cholesterol using a variety of agents. Different studies have also investigated the long-term effects of lipid lowering strategies on atherosclerosis by means of coronary angiography and have demonstrated that lipid reduction reduces progression of atherosclerosis and can promote atherosclerosis regression. Thus, it has been demonstrated that cholesterol lowering therapy reduces the risk of CHD and diminishes cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Policosanol is a drug that presumably possesses both hypocholesterolemic and antiplatelet effects. Furthermore there are hints to even more positive effects that influence the development of atherosclerosis, i.e. inhibition of LDL peroxidation and smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Previous studies showed efficacy in dose ranges of mostly 5 to 20 mg Policosanol per day. As nearly all previous studies have been performed in Latin America it cannot be excluded that either ethnic or nutritional factors contribute to the dose found to be optimal in this region. This circumstance as well as the requirement to meet the ICH Guideline "Ethnic Factors in the Acceptability of Foreign Clinical Data" make further studies, i.e. a dose-finding clinical trial, an efficacy clinical trial in European patients and a long-term tolerability clinical trial in Caucasian patients necessary.

It is known from more than 60 clinical studies performed so far that Policosanol has an excellent safety profile. A placebo-controlled design was considered appropriate as patients with two or more risk factors for the development of cardiovascular events and a LDL of greater than 190 mg/dl were excluded; the chance of getting an active lipid-lowering agent during the treatment phase was 80 %.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Policosanol

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Madaus AG

    collaborator INDUSTRY

  • Drug Commission of the German Medical Association

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Heiner K. Berthold, MD, PhD · Drug Commission of the German Medical Association

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2000-09-30
Completion
2001-07-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00288483 on ClinicalTrials.gov