Press Release: European Medicines Agency recommends use of fibrates as second-line treatment

The European Medicines Agency announced on 22 October 2010 that its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) had concluded 'that the benefits of the four fibrates bezafibrate, ciprofibrate, fenofibrate and gemfibrozil continue to outweigh their risks in the treatment of patients with blood lipid disorders. However, doctors should not prescribe them to newly-diagnosed patients with blood lipid disorders as first-line treatment, except for patients with severe hypertriglyceridaemia or patients who cannot take statins.'

Fibrates are a class of medicines that have been in use for many years to lower level of lipids such as triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood.

• Primary Source

EMA: Press Release: EMA/649010/2010 (22.10.10): European Medicines Agency recommends use of fibrates as second-line treatment http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Press_release/2010/10/WC500098368.pdf

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