The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 05/04

Welcome to The HCPFive, your go-to roundup for the latest healthcare news and breakthroughs, curated specifically for busy healthcare professionals.

Each week, we highlight 5 key developments or headlines from healthcare that you need to know—whether it's a cutting-edge treatment, regulatory updates, or innovations shaping the future of medicine. This week's top stories include major cholesterol-lowering breakthroughs with obicetrapib and MAR001, promising age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) trial results for zervimesine and UBX1325, and new efficacy data for roflumilast foam in treating scalp and body psoriasis.

With The HCPFive, you'll get the essential takeaways to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Here’s your quick dive into the top stories for the week of May 04, 2025—let’s jump in!

Interested in oncology news? Check out The OncFive, from our sister publication OncLive.

Obicetrapib Achieves Robust LDL-C Reductions in Phase 3 ASCVD Trials

Once-daily oral obicetrapib, as an adjunct to statins, significantly reduced LDL-C in patients with ASCVD who do not respond sufficiently to standard therapy in two Phase 3 trials. Announced by NewAmsterdam Pharma, and presented as late-breaking research at the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress 2025, obicetrapib cut LDL-C by more than 30% as monotherapy and nearly 50% when combined with ezetimibe.

MAR001 Cuts Remnant Cholesterol, Triglycerides by 50% in Phase 2a Trial

A novel cholesterol-lowering drug may offer a new approach to reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with elevated triglycerides and remnant cholesterol, beyond the reach of traditional therapies. Announced by Marea Therapeutics on May 7, 2025, and presented at the 93rd EAS Congress, MAR001, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting ANGPTL4, reduced remnant cholesterol and triglycerides by more than 50% compared with placebo at 12 weeks.

Oral Zervimesine Reduces Geographic Atrophy Lesion Growth in Phase 2 Trial

Oral zervimesine (CT1812) successfully lowered lesion growth in patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in topline results from the Phase 2 MAGNIFY trial. Zervimesine slowed the trajectory of GA by approximately 28.6%, and GA lesion growth by 28.2% at 18 months, compared with placebo.

UBX1325 Matches Aflibercept in Vision Gains for DME at 36 Weeks

UBX1325 (foselutoclax) demonstrated noninferior vision gains compared with aflibercept for diabetic macular edema (DME) across 36 weeks in the Phase 2b ASPIRE study. UBX1325 treatment led to vision gains of >5 letters from baseline, indicating non-inferiority to aflibercept at 9 of 10 points through the study period.

Roflumilast Foam 0.3% for Scalp, Body Psoriasis Effective, Safe for Patients

Roflumilast foam 0.3% (Zoryve) showed significant efficacy in treating scalp and body psoriasis, achieving rapid symptom relief and high success rates in clinical assessments in the Phase 3 ARRECTOR study. A regulatory decision from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for roflumilast foam 0.3% for scalp and body plaque psoriasis is expected by the end of May 2025.