Effects of pemafibrate (K-877) on cholesterol efflux capacity and postprandial hyperlipidemia in patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia.

Cardiovascular risk is negatively correlated with cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) from macrophages to high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and positively correlated with fasting and nonfasting triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs). Pemafibrate, a novel selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α modulator, robustly decreases the fasting TRL level, increases the HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) level, and improves the atherogenic lipoprotein subclass profile, with an adverse event rate comparable to that of placebo treatment in previous clinical studies. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pemafibrate on CEC and postprandial hyperlipidemia. Using a single-center, double-blind, randomized, two-by-two crossover design, 33 patients were assigned to receive either 0.4 mg/d pemafibrate (twice daily) or placebo first. The assigned study drug was administered for 4 weeks. Subsequently, the alternate study drug was administered for another 4 weeks. CEC was measured using HDLs obtained from fasting blood samples. A meal tolerance test was performed to examine the postprandial lipid levels at weeks 0, 4, and 8. CEC, HDL-C, and apolipoprotein A-I levels increased after pemafibrate treatment compared with placebo administration. Moreover, the percent change in CEC was correlated with that of HDL-C and apolipoprotein A-I levels. TRL levels markedly decreased after pemafibrate treatment in both fasting and nonfasting states. These findings suggest that pemafibrate enhances reverse cholesterol transport and may retard the progression and even promote the regression of atherosclerosis by comprehensively ameliorating the atherogenic lipid profile.