TL;DR
Some people are born with a broken copy of a gene called PCSK9, and they go through life with very low LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind, and far less heart disease. Scribe Therapeutics wants to hand everyone else that same lucky break in a single treatment. Its STX-1150 does not cut DNA; it switches the gene off epigenetically, like turning down a dimmer. In monkeys it cut LDL by up to 68%, and at the lowest dose the cut stayed above half for more than 22 months (company data). Scribe says the first human trial has begun, and it has booked a slot to show updated data at the American Heart Association meeting, Nov. 6 to 9. If that staying power carries over to people, keeping LDL low could become a one-time treatment instead of a lifelong routine. For our odds on when that arrives, and the timeline of breakthroughs that leads there, subscribe.
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