AstraZeneca's pill cuts cholesterol, offers convenient treatment
(NewsNation) — AstraZeneca's experimental pill has shown promise in reducing 'bad' cholesterol, raising expectations for more convenient alternatives in treatment options.
AstraZenca is testing a once-daily PCSK9 inhibitor, currently known as AZD0780. After 12 weeks of use alongside standard statin therapy, the pill reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or what is known as 'bad' cholesterol, by 50.7%, according to data presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in Chicago.
Notably, 84% of patients who took the pill achieved the recommended cholesterol level, compared to just 13% of those on statins alone.
MAHA: Are Americans paying attention to RFK Jr.'s push to ban food dyes?
The pill was well-tolerated by patients in the clinical trial, with side effects comparable to those who took a placebo.
High levels of LDL cholesterol are a key risk factor in strokes and heart attacks.
AstraZeneca is competing with a similar drug from Merck, which targets the same PCSK9 protein. However, Merck's pill requires fasting for at least eight hours before use, Bloomberg reports, while AstraZeneca's doesn't.
AstraZeneca believes its drug is better suited in 'combination' with other medications.
AstraZeneca's pill could offer a more convenient and affordable alternative to PCSK9 injections like Amgen's Repatha and Regeneron's Praluent.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Egg Recall Map Shows Warnings Issued to Customers in 9 States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. August Egg Company has issued a recall on Friday for 1,700,000 brown cage-free and certified organic brown eggs due to potential fears of salmonella. Newsweek reached out to the company after hours via phone Friday night for comment. Why It Matters Numerous recalls have been initiated this year due to the potential for the following: damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens. Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or food allergies every year. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine "major" food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts. The FDA warns that salmonella is an organism that could cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in frail or older people, young children and those with weakened immune systems. What To Know The FDA says in its alert that some of the eggs were distributed to grocery stores including Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less and Ralphs. Those eggs were distributed from February 3, 2025, to May 15, 2025, with sell by dates of March 4, 2025, and June 4, 2025, in both California and Nevada. The FDA says additional eggs were distributed from February 3, 2025, to May 6, 2025, with sell by dates of March 4, 2025, and June 19, 2025, in Walmart stores in Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Wyoming. The plant code numbers for the recalled eggs can be found printed on the package and are P-6562 or CA5330 with Julian Dates from 32 to 126, the FDA says. The Julian Dates are codes of three to seven digits and represent the date that the food was packaged or manufactured. "This recall is associated with an ongoing outbreak investigation of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses" the alert says, adding the investigation is related to products distributed in the nine states. The FDA alert also has a chart of the Julian Dates with corresponding item names. What People Are Saying The FDA alert, in part: "August Egg Company is not selling fresh shell eggs at this time. Our firm has voluntarily been diverting eggs to an egg-breaking plant for over 30 days, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any potential foodborne pathogens." August Egg Company in the FDA alert: "August Egg Company of Hilmar, CA is voluntarily recalling 1,700,000 dozen shell eggs processed at our California plant and sold to various grocery customers. This recall has been initiated due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, which poses a health risk. With that in mind, we believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall, as consumers may still have these eggs in their homes. "It is important to know that when our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens. "August Egg Company's internal food safety team also is conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring. We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again." What Happens Next Customers with additional questions can call August Egg Company at 1-800-710-2554 from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT and can also return the eggs to the original place of purchase for a refund.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
1.7 million air conditioners recalled over reports of mold growth
(NewsNation) — About 1.7 million window air conditioning units have been recalled in the U.S. after 17 customers reported getting sick from fungal growth in the appliance. The Midea U and U+ window air conditioners may fail to drain quickly, causing mold growth that 'poses risks of respiratory issues or other infections to some consumers,' according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nearly 46,000 units were also sold in Canada. There have been 152 reports of mold in the white AC units, including 17 reports of people saying exposure to the fungi made them cough, sneeze or have other allergic reactions. Units were sold under the brand names: The Midea air conditioners fit in windows and resonated with consumers because of their unique design, which allows consumers to close their windows 'through' the unit. The units were sold from March 2020 through May 2025 for $280 to $500 in-store and online at Costco, Menards, Best Buy, Home Depot and more. Customers who purchased the units can get a free repair or potentially a prorated refund by contacting Midea. Consumers who choose to use their air conditioners while awaiting a repair can go to to find out how to inspect their unit before continuing to use it. For more information, consumers can visit and click on 'Recall Information' or call (888) 345-0256 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Mondays-Fridays. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Michiganders unite for veterans at Lansing rally
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — June 6 marks the anniversary of one of the largest seaborne invasions in history—D-Day, and in its honor, hundreds of Michiganders rallied in support of veterans who they say are facing an unprecedented attack on their benefits by the Trump administration. The event was hosted by several groups to help defend veterans from a series of cuts that they say could impact their benefits and livelihoods, as the Trump administration plans to slash about 80,000 jobs to reorganize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of these workers specialize in healthcare and other various services. Retired veterans, husband and wife Jerry and Dale Blunk are fighting back in hopes of change. 'The benefits I get keep me alive,' said Jerry Blunk. 'When you get hit with something, like you need a heart transplant or change an organ or some kind of operation, I can't afford that, except for the VA.' Jerry and his wife both go to the VA office in Saginaw for their medical and health needs. VA Secretary Doug Collins has defended the upcoming cuts, claiming they would not impact veterans' health care or benefits, but Dale Blunk says she's already seeing a shift. 'There's already been a slowdown to the number of appointments that there are,' said Dale Blunk. 'Lab times, getting stuff done, surgeries being done. All that is starting to slow down, and they've hardly even started the firing.' Dale says she feels that the cuts will lead to the VA becoming privatized, which she believes could result in higher costs for taxpaying Americans. Kurt Shanks, a retired Navy submarine veteran, says that although he hasn't had to use his benefits, he still wants to defend his fellow servicemen and women from losing something they've fought so hard to get. 'I had the safety of a submarine hull,' said Shanks. 'Yeah, we had our share of fun and danger, but nothing like the people out there who are truly risking their lives, and America owes them everything.' As the clock counts down on the VA cuts, Jerry Blunk fears his benefits could be on the chopping block. 'They may come along and say, 'Okay, we're gonna take the top 20% of the oldest retirees, and kick them the hell off the list,' said Jerry Blunk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
