Adults with familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia (HeFH; an inherited condition in which cholesterol cannot be removed from the body normally) or heart disease may use bempedoic acid in conjunction with lifestyle modifications (diet, weight loss, exercise) and specific cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) to further reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (‘bad cholesterol’) in their blood. Adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors are a class of drugs that includes bempedoic acid. It operates by preventing the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol.

Bempedoic acid is available as a tablet for oral consumption. The normal dosage is one dose per day, with or without food. Take bempedoic acid every day at around the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Bempedoic acid should be taken exactly as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking bempedoic acid,

• If you have an allergy to bempedoic acid, any other medications, or any of the substances in bempedoic acid tablets, inform your doctor right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Mention any of the following: pravachol (Pravachol), simvastatin (Flolipid, in Vytorin), fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gatifloxacin (Zymar, Zymaxid), levofloxacin (Levaquin), or ofloxacin; oral or injectable steroids such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Med (Rayos). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Inform your physician if you have or have had had renal or liver illness, gout, tendon (the fibrous tissue that links a bone to a muscle) issues, or any other medical conditions.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking bempedoic acid.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Side effects from bempedoic acid are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Muscles cramping
• Back ache
• Hands or feet ache

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Bempedoic acid should be stopped immediately if you have any of the following symptoms, and you should also seek emergency medical attention:

• Significant joint discomfort, especially in the big toe area, redness, warmth, tenderness, or swelling
• Observing or experiencing a snap or pop near a tendon; bruises from a tendon injury, as well as being unable to bear weight or move near the injured tendon area

Other negative consequences of bempedoic acid are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by mail if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). Keep the desiccant in your bottle; it is a little packet that is given with the tablets to absorb moisture.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to bempedoic acid, your doctor will request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.