AMGEN Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) presented clinical trial data showing its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha reduced major cardiovascular events by 29% in people with high-risk diabetes, according to results from the VESALIUS-CV trial subgroup analysis presented at the American Diabetes Association's 86th Scientific Sessions.

The analysis included 6,002 patients with high-risk diabetes who had elevated LDL cholesterol but no prior heart attack or stroke. Patients receiving Repatha alongside statins or other cholesterol-lowering therapies showed a 29% reduction in the composite primary endpoint of coronary heart disease death, heart attack, or stroke compared to placebo. The drug also reduced a broader composite endpoint including revascularization procedures by 21%.

Patients treated with Repatha achieved a median LDL cholesterol level of 45 mg/dL compared to 106 mg/dL in the placebo group. The findings were simultaneously published in Diabetes Care journal.

"People with diabetes face double the risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those without the condition," said Jay Bradner, executive vice president of Research and Development at AMGEN. The results demonstrate the importance of intensive LDL cholesterol reduction in high-risk diabetes patients, he said.

AMGEN also presented real-world data showing low persistence and adherence rates for GLP-1 therapies in diabetes and obesity treatment. The studies found many patients discontinue treatment within the first year, potentially limiting therapeutic benefits compared to clinical trial outcomes.

The VESALIUS-CV trial enrolled over 12,000 patients with known cardiovascular disease or high-risk diabetes. The full trial results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2025, showed Repatha reduced cardiovascular events by 25% in the overall population.