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Few drug classes have been met with such hope and led to such disappointment as the cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. From the publication of ILLUMINATE (NEJM JW Cardiol Dec 2007 and N Engl J Med 2007; 357:2109), the trail of trials has taught us not to assume that lowering LDL and raising HDL will always translate into lower risk for cardiovascular events. In the midst of all the negative news, HPS3/TIMI55 (REVEAL), a manufacturer-sponsored, randomized trial, was designed to test anacetrapib, another CETP inhibitor, in people at high risk. There was little reason to believe the results would be different from other drugs in the class.
The researchers enrolled 30,449 people with atherosclerotic disease who were on intensi…