Maldives Begins PCSK9 Inhibitor Treatment Programme for Inherited High Cholesterol

Maldives, 10 February 2026 (09:05 Maldives time) – The Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Maldives Medical Product Authority, has started giving PCSK9-inhibitor medicines to Maldivians with genetically caused high cholesterol who are at very high risk of heart attack and stroke. In the first round, 52 patients are being treated. The ministry said 74 Maldivians have been identified as meeting the medical criteria for this medicine. Of them, 52 are included in the first phase and 48 have already started treatment. The programme is being implemented through specialist services at government hospitals. PCSK9 inhibitors reduce low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol. According to the Health Ministry, the medicine can lower bad cholesterol by between 34 and 62 per cent; in the patients being treated it has shown a reduction of about 48 per cent. It also reduces other blood fats by 10 to 20 per cent. The injections are given at regular intervals, and patients are reviewed after 15 to 24 days depending on the dose and type of medicine. Children as young as 10 years, and adults above 20 years, are included when the condition is genetically confirmed and the patient is at severe risk. The ministry said an ANGPTL3 inhibitor has also been approved for patients who cannot receive PCSK9 inhibitors. ANGPTL3 inhibitors work by another route and lower both bad cholesterol and triglycerides. The Health Ministry added that the programme would continue with monitoring and testing, in cooperation with hospitals, specialists and the drug regulatory authority, so that the treatment could be provided safely to patients whose high cholesterol threatens their health.