Evacetrapib
Review profiles the early safety advantage of evacetrapib over torcetrapib as cardiovascular outcomes remain unknown (Curr Cardiol Rep 2012)
Original title: Evacetrapib
This review examines evacetrapib, a novel cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor developed to raise HDL cholesterol beyond what current lipid-modifying therapies achieve. Initial enthusiasm for CETP inhibition had waned after adverse clinical outcomes with torcetrapib, but elucidating the off-target toxicities behind the harm caused by torcetrapib renewed hope for other CETP inhibitors. In early clinical evaluation, evacetrapib showed favorable effects on plasma lipids with no adverse effects on blood pressure or mineralocorticoid activity, distinguishing it from torcetrapib. The author notes that the potential effects of evacetrapib on cardiovascular outcomes remained to be determined.
Original abstract
Considerable attention focuses on the ability to develop therapeutic agents that elevate levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors have been developed on the basis of their ability to raise HDL-C to a greater extent than lipid-modifying therapies currently used in clinical practice. Initial enthusiasm for CETP inhibition decreased as a result of adverse clinical outcomes observed with the agent torcetrapib. Elucidating off-target toxicities of torcetrapib has provided hope that other CETP inhibitors may still be of potential benefit. Evacetrapib is a novel CETP inhibitor, with favorable effects on plasma lipids and no adverse effects on blood pressure or mineralocorticoid activity in early clinical evaluation. The potential effects on cardiovascular outcomes remain to be determined.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.