VCU news

By Anne Dreyfuss
C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research

A Virginia Commonwealth University pharmacist will be available for a Twitter chat this Friday to answer questions about recent developments in cholesterol-lowering medications and other related topics.

Earlier this month, a panel of outside advisers recommended that the Food and Drug Administration approve a new cholesterol-lowering drug that blocks a protein called PCSK9, which interferes with the liver’s ability to clear bad cholesterol. While the FDA is not obliged to follow the advice of its advisory panels, it typically does. If approved, the new biotech drugs would be the first major addition to the list of coronary heart-disease medicines since statin pills were first prescribed in the late 1980s.

“The PCSK9 drugs will have a major impact on how we manage lipid disorders and serve as an alternative approach for patients who do not tolerate statins,” said Dave Dixon, Pharm.D., assistant professor, Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, VCU School of Pharmacy. An expert on drug therapy and heart health, Dixon will be available to answer questions about the differences between the new drugs and statins, common side effects associated with the drugs, potential drug costs and more.

Everyone is invited to sign into their Twitter accounts and join the conversation to have their questions answered by Dixon from 2 to 3 p.m. on June 26. Just remember to use the hashtag #VCUHealthChat when posting questions and comments.

Questions can be submitted in advance via Twitter using #VCUHealthChat and @VCUMedical on Twitter.