FDA approves drug to fight high cholesterol

(CNN) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new cholesterol lowering medication.

Esperion’s Nexletol is a once-daily tablet that is an alternative for millions of patients that can’t take or don’t respond well to statins.

The company says it’s the first oral non-statin drug approved in nearly two decades.

During studies, the drug reduced cholesterol in patients by an average of 18-percent when used with moderate or high intensity statins.

The new drug could become available as early as late March.