science

Olpasiran

Olpasiran is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Olpasiran rather than just read about it. In short: Olpasiran (development code AMG 890, formerly ARO-LPA) is an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy developed by Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and licensed worldwide by Amgen. As of October 2025, it is in phase 3 trials to evaluate whether it reduces cardiovascular risk by lowering lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)).

Key takeaways

Olpasiran belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Olpasiran to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Olpasiran from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Olpasiran (development code AMG 890, formerly ARO-LPA) is an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy developed by Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and licensed worldwide by Amgen. As of October 2025, it is in phase 3 trials to evaluate whether it reduces cardiovascular risk by lowering lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)). Olpasiran is under investigation to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and elevated Lp(a) concentrations, as well as for individuals at high-risk for a first cardiovascular event and elevated Lp(a) concentrations.

Adverse effects In clinical trials, olpasiran was generally well tolerated. The most frequent adverse events were injection-site reactions, which were usually mild. No major safety signals emerged.

Mechanism of action Olpasiran is a N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)–conjugated siRNA. After uptake by hepatocytes through the asialoglycoprotein receptor, the antisense strand is incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which inhibits expression of the LPA gene. This reduces apolipoprotein(a) production and lowers circulating Lp(a). Olpasiran is a double-stranded siRNA chemically modified for stability and conjugated with GalNAc to enable hepatocyte targeting.

History Olpasiran was originally developed by Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (as ARO-LPA) and licensed to Amgen in 2016. In 2022, Arrowhead sold a portion of its royalty rights to Royalty Pharma.

Research In a phase 1 trial, one dose of olpasiran led to lower Lp(a) levels sustained for up to 6 months. The phase 2 OCEAN(a)-DOSE trial demonstrated dose-dependent, sustained Lp(a) lowering with acceptable tolerability. In OCEAN(a)-DOSE, olpasiran reduced Lp(a) levels by more than 95% at some doses as compared to placebo, with durable suppression persisting for up to 48 weeks after treatment discontinuation. A large phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial began in 2022 to determine whether Lp(a) reduction with olpasiran decreases events in patients with established ASCVD and a history of cardiovascular events.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Olpasiran

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Olpasiran claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Olpasiran before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Olpasiran ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Olpasiran

In research: Olpasiran appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Olpasiran in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Olpasiran is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Drugs developed by Amgen, Small interfering RNA, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Olpasiran outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Olpasiran in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Olpasiran means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Olpasiran out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Olpasiran in simple terms?

Why does Olpasiran matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Olpasiran?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Olpasiran.