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About Welchol
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Efficacy of Welchol in Primary Hyperlipidemia
In patients with primary hyperlipidemia, add Welchol™ (colesevelam HCl) to a low-dose statin for greater efficacy.1 Welchol also increased efficacy without increasing the statin dose.2
Statin + Welchol vs statin titration1

- When coadministered with a statin, Welchol may provide efficacy similar to the 3 titration steps of a statin
- Doubling the statin dose does not equal double statin efficacy
- For each doubling of a statin dose, only an additional 5% to 6% further lowering of LDL-C is achieved
- Welchol achieves maximum efficacy in the reduction of LDL-C within 2 weeks
Welchol + atorvastatin: LDL-C reduction2

*p<0.0001 vs baseline
†p<0.05 vs atorvastatin 10 mg
- Efficacy with Welchol + atorvastatin 10 mg was not statistically different from atorvastatin 80 mg2
- Welchol 3.8 g achieved a total mean LDL-C reduction of 42% when added to simvastatin 10 mg (p<0.0001)3
Indications
Welchol is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to:
- Reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with primary hyperlipidemia (Fredrickson Type IIa) as monotherapy or in combination with an hydroxymethyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor
- Improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Important limitations of use
- Welchol should not be used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis
- Welchol has not been studied in type 2 diabetes as monotherapy or in combination with a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor and has not been extensively studied in combination with thiazolidinediones
- Welchol has not been studied in Fredrickson Type I, III, IV, and V dyslipidemias
References
1. Bays H, Dujovne C. Colesevelam HCl: a non-systemic lipid-altering drug. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2003;4:779–90.
2. Hunninghake D, Insull W Jr, Toth P, Davidson D, Donovan JM, Burke SK. Coadministration of colesevelam hydrochloride with atorvastatin lowers LDL cholesterol additively. Atherosclerosis. 2001;158:407-16.
3. Knapp HH, Schrott H, Ma P, et al. Efficacy and safety of combination simvastatin and colesevelam in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Am J Med. 2001;110:352-60.