Probucol is an anti-hyperlipidemic drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...

 initially developed in the treatment of coronary artery disease.

However, clinical trials were stopped after it was found that may lower HDL in patients with a previous history of heart disease.

Probucol was initially developed in the 1970s by a chemical company to maximize airplane tire longevity.

Mechanism

Probucol lowers the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream by increasing the rate of LDL catabolism. Additionally, probucol may inhibit cholesterol synthesis and delay cholesterol absorption. Probucol is a powerful antioxidant which inhibits the oxidation of cholesterol in LDLs; this slows the formation of foam cells, which contribute to atherosclerotic plaques.

It is believed to act at ABCA1

ABCA1

ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCA1 , also known as the cholesterol efflux regulatory protein is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ABCA1 gene...

.

It also lowers levels of HDL.