Anacetrapib
Unlike statins, anacetrapib lowers rather than raises new-onset diabetes risk on top of a coronary benefit, a review argues for a statin-plus-CETP-inhibitor combination (Atherosclerosis 2018)
Original title: CETP inhibition, statins and diabetes
Statins reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in people with type 2 diabetes but also raise the likelihood of new-onset diabetes in those predisposed to it. This review notes that the CETP inhibitor anacetrapib reduces coronary events beyond what statins achieve alone, and unlike statins, decreases rather than increases the risk of developing diabetes. The authors argue that if this reduced new-onset diabetes risk is confirmed in another CETP inhibitor outcomes trial, there would be a case for combining a statin with a CETP inhibitor in people at high ASCVD risk who are also at elevated risk of developing diabetes. A short, focused argument for a specific combination-therapy niche for CETP inhibitors, resting on the anacetrapib diabetes signal from REVEAL.
Original abstract
Type 2 diabetes is a causal risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). While treatment with a statin reduces the risk of having an ASCVD event in all people, including those with type-2 diabetes, statin treatment also increases the likelihood of new onset diabetes when given to those with risk factors for developing diabetes. Treatment with the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, anacetrapib, reduces the risk of having a coronary event over and above that achieved with a statin. However, unlike statins, anacetrapib decreases the risk of developing diabetes. If the reduced risk of new-onset diabetes is confirmed in another CETP inhibitor outcome trial, there will be a case for considering the use of the combination of a statin plus a CETP inhibitor in high ASCVD-risk people who are also at increased risk of developing diabetes.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.