JW Pharmaceutical said on the 2nd it launched "Rivarofeno (pitavastatin, fenofibric acid)," a dyslipidemia treatment that can manage low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) at the same time.
Rivarofeno is a combination drug that bundles pitavastatin, a statin that lowers cholesterol, with fenofibric acid, a fibrate used to improve triglycerides. It can be used in adult patients at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) whose LDL-C is controlled with 2 mg pitavastatin monotherapy, but who have high triglycerides (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).
Among patients with dyslipidemia, there are many who, despite statin therapy controlling LDL-C, show a "mixed dyslipidemia" pattern with high TG and low HDL-C. Demand has steadily been raised for treatment options targeting this patient group that needs to manage LDL-C and TG together.
Fenofibric acid, the key component of Rivarofeno, is an active metabolite produced when fenofibrate is converted in the body, and it helps improve lipid markers such as triglycerides through the PPAR-α pathway, a receptor pathway that regulates lipid metabolism in the liver and other tissues.
Fenofibric acid also has the formulation characteristic of showing little difference in absorption depending on meals, so Rivarofeno can be taken regardless of food. The company noted that this improves dosing convenience for patients.
JW Pharmaceutical, which recently launched "Rivarohigh," a triple combination for dyslipidemia and hypertension based on pitavastatin, plans to expand its pitavastatin-based "Rivaro family" lineup with the new Rivarofeno.
A JW Pharmaceutical official said, "Rivarofeno features improved dosing convenience by allowing administration regardless of meals through the application of fenofibric acid," adding, "We will continue to build and share evidence centered on the Rivaro family to help treat patients with dyslipidemia."