Han Y, Chen J, Chopra V, et al. - Among high cardiovascular risk patients from Asia, researchers evaluated the effectiveness as well as the safety of alirocumab vs ezetimibe in the ODYSSEY EAST study. They randomized (2:1) 615 patients recruited from China, India, and Thailand, with hypercholesterolemia at high cardiovascular risk on maximally tolerated statin to alirocumab (75 mg every 2 weeks [Q2W]; with dose increment to 150 mg Q2W at Week 12 if Week 8 LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) was > 1.81 mmol/L [> 70 mg/dL]) or ezetimibe (10 mg daily) for 24 weeks. They estimated the percentage change in calculated LDL-C from baseline to Week 24 as primary efficacy endpoint. The achievement of LDL-C < 1.81 mmol/L was reported at Week 24 in 85.1% of alirocumab-treated and 40.5% of ezetimibe-treated patients. Findings revealed that a significant decrease in LDL-C was brought about by alirocumab treatment compared with ezetimibe in high cardiovascular risk patients from Asia. General good tolerability of alirocumab was also evident. These results are consistent with prior ODYSSEY investigations.