Cyclarity Therapeutics has shared early clinical trial results showing that its experimental drug UDP-003 can bind to and remove 7-ketocholesterol (7KC) — a toxic oxidized cholesterol compound considered a root cause of arterial plaque buildup — through urinary excretion. The trial, conducted at Monash Victorian Heart Institute, marks the first time this mechanism has been demonstrated safely in humans. Unlike statins and other cardiovascular drugs that work systemically, UDP-003 uses engineered cyclodextrin molecules to precisely target and encapsulate 7KC locally within plaque. This approach aims not just to slow atherosclerosis but to actively reverse it. Researchers note even a 1% reduction in coronary plaque burden may cut major cardiovascular event risk by up to 25%.
