ESC Congress 2025 - NEWTON-CABG finds evolocumab with regular statin therapy did not improve vein graft patency after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in the short-term.

Dr Subodh Verma and Dr Lawrence Leiter (University of Toronto, Toronto, CA) join us to discuss findings from NEWTON-CABG CardioLink-5 (NCT03900026). The investigator-initiated multicenter, randomised, placebo-controlled study aimed to investigate the effect of evolocumab on saphenous vein graft patency within 21 d coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Before randomisation to either evolocumab or placebo, post-operative patients will be on moderate or high intensity statin therapy.

Findings showed that over 2 years, evolocumab produced a neutral result on vein graft patency after CABG surgery, However, evolocumab was found to lower LDL cholesterol by 60%.

Interview Questions:

1. What is the reasoning behind the NEWTON-CABG CardioLink-5 study?
2. What was the study design and patient population?
3. What were the key findings?
4. How should these findings impact clinical practice?
5. What further research is needed in this area?

Recorded on-site at ESC Congress 2025, Madrid.

Editors: Jordan Rance, Yazmin Sadik.
Videographers: Mike Knight, Dan Brent, Oliver Miles, Tom Green, David-Ben-Harosh.

Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Cardiology.