Sam Tsimikas, MD
@Lpa_Doc
Educational forum on Lp(a) and related areas. Professor UC San Diego.
For those interested in the Saturday Morning Lp(a) Class, the course is now linked to my bio and is open access. Big thanks to @TheBhupiThakur for organizing the twittorials. It is ~500 tweets in 24 classes. Syllabus enclosed. I wish to all the joy of learning.
All Sat morning classes by @Lpa_Doc is now linked to this updated thread. Enjoy
RNA-based technologies are evolving extremely fast. If yearly dosing can be achieved for CV targets, treating risk factors will move to primary care with the annual physical. It will be a very exciting next decade to see how much further we can reduce CV events....
Today, with @Biogen, we shared positive interim results from the Phase 1 study of our investigational ASO for the potential treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (#SMA). Read more: ir.ionis.com/news-releases/… $IONS
Important milestone for patients with FCS living outside US. As a personal reflection, we are starting to see the rapid evolution of new therapies for lipid disorders. Believe it or not, @ionispharma has been working to develop drugs for apoC-III and Lp(a) (among many other…
Today, the CHMP in the European Union recommended the approval of Ionis’ and Sobi’s treatment for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). Read more about the news: ir.ionis.com/news-releases/… $IONS
Thanks for asking. Typically "total" apoC-III is measured in plasma. These methods detect apoC-III in different pools of lipoproteins, so it will allow us to detemine which portion of apoC-III associates with more or less risk. They should be valuable in ASCVD studies.
That's an exciting development, Sam! Understanding the selective effects of treatments like olezarsen on lipoprotein pools could provide essential insights into cardiovascular research. Could you elaborate on how this novel technique might compare with existing methods for…
What are the chances of 2 Balance FCS papers coming out in the same day? Answer= 100% 😀 This one done @UCSDCardiology shows a novel technique to measure apoC-III in different lipoprotein pools and selective effect of olezarsen on total apoB (apoB-48+apoB-100) and apoA-I pools…
How does one diagnose Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS)? This paper from @ionispharma with collaborators Drs Brown, Moulin, Gaudet and Hegele shows strong concordance of the NAFCS score using Balance trial genetics data. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
In recent weeks, our focus has been on the EAS Congress and the new Consensus Statement, but we mustn't forget about our recent AtheroTalk episodes. One of them addresses the question: How do you build confidence and momentum early in your research career? Prof. @KroonLab shares…
A good topic for the next Sat AM Class is Lp(a) trial updates, I will work on this for next Saturday. Maybe also do a new "Ask me anything, about Lp(a)"
Do you think $lly will push the trial end date back as $nvs did? $ions
Stay in the know this summer with our @lipidjournal #ScienceSpotlight series!🔦 This week we're highlighting the Balance trial, which explored the #FCS patient experience during olezarsen treatment. 📖Read more: ow.ly/Wjcy50WlUQY Let us know your thoughts!👇#Lipidology
Some news on the Lp(a) trial front- ACCLAIM Lp(a) has increased size from 12,500 to 16,700...not necessarily unexpected considering the inclusion of patients without a prior event who will have less overall events in the study.
The study I cited did that, the baseline Lp(a) was ~200 nmol/L, and they were randomized to evolocumab vs placebo. Note % reduction is only 13.9%., so about 28 nmol/L or about 10-12 mg/dL in absolute terms. The non-specific agents do not match the potency of the specific drugs in…
The analysis's focus on normal Lp(a) levels is indeed a limitation when the clinical concern is often elevated Lp(a). The true challenge lies in understanding the interventions' effects on those patients. In your experience, what alternative study designs could better address…
A major limitation these types of analyses is that they report changes in Lp(a) in mostly normal Lp(a) levels, and thus they are not reflecting clinical need, esp if shown as mean % change which can vary a lot. What we really need to know is what is the effect in people with…
☝️Effect of Lipid-lowering Therapies on Lp(a) Levels: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of RCTs ☝️New evidence just published in @ATHjournal ! 👉This comprehensive meta-analysis of 147 RCTs involving over 145,000 participants confirms that most currently available lipid-lowering…
And a little known fact: Dan was a UCSD Med School founder, in early 1960s- I happen to sit in hallowed ground in his original research office, BSB 1080...Joe is in same suite right across from me. A beautiful collaborative pairing of Cardiology and Endocrinology to study…
Yes! The giant of oxidation of lipoproteins, Dr Steinberg, passed away several year ago. Joe Witztum, who contributed initially significantly with Dan and then further refied the hypothesis with oxidation specific antibodies, and I still work together. The prior data was mostly…
Yes! The giant of oxidation of lipoproteins, Dr Steinberg, passed away several year ago. Joe Witztum, who contributed initially significantly with Dan and then further refied the hypothesis with oxidation specific antibodies, and I still work together. The prior data was mostly…
I remember when you went to work in the Steinberg/Witzum lab. What a journey!
Thank you David. You were there at the very beginning when @UCSDCardiology
Congratulations, Sam!
I am deeply honored to be invited to present the Pioneer Award lecture for the @FamilyHeartFdn. It will be a modern "bench-to-bedside" story through my collaborative work, experience and associations spanning 25 years to define Lp(a) as a CVD risk factor and develop a therapy for…
We’re proud to honor Dr. Sam Tsimikas @Lpa_Doc w/ the Pioneer Award at #FHFSummit25! After his Keynote lecture, join us for Lp(a) In the Spotlight w/ Diane MacDougall & Dr. Anne Tybjærg-Hansen sharing insights from new @FamilyHeartFdn Lp(a) research. #KnowLpa
Congrats Dhruv, well deserved, as a former @UCSDCardFellows you are a role model and we are proud of you!
I’m usually awkward about award ceremonies – worthy accomplishments are seldom about individual effort. But this one warmed my heart. A celebration of folks who have dedicated decades of their lives to an organization that has truly shaped our the world @American_Heart 1/
A relatively new area for those interested in CV is Angiotensinogen as a new target for HTN and heart failure: See 2 papers on topic, led by Kari Lidani and Andrew DeFillipis. @ionispharma supported the measurement of AGT in the MESA study - its drug tonlamarsen is licensed to…
The larger olezarsen-apoC-III trials for severe hypertriglyceridemia read out this year in 2025. Pelacarsen Lp(a)HORIZON reads out in 2026. After an Odyssean, >10 yr journey, we are almost home....
When do outcomes come out
The world of triglycerides is rapidly evolving with potent therapies. See recent paper on FCS from the Balance open label extension study and patient reported outcomes. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
