A “phenomenal” jab given twice yearly to cut cholesterol could replace statins for millions of Britons.

A landmark study has found that the gene-silencing injections can halve levels of “bad cholesterol,” vastly reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Cardiologists at the world’s largest heart conference said the results could transform lives, freeing many patients from taking a daily cocktail of drugs.

In the first instance, up to 700,000 patients in the UK with the highest cholesterol levels are likely to be targeted with the drugs, while remaining on statins.

But in the long-term, the jabs could be offered to millions of patients as an alternative to statins, to prevent heart disease, experts said.

The international study, led by Imperial College London, involved 1,617 patients with heart disease, half of whom were given the six-monthly jabs.

The injections work by silencing genes in the liver, limiting the production of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

The study found that those given the treatment, called inclisiran, saw levels fall by half - at least as good as a high-dose statin, and far superior to the low dose drugs. This was maintained, simply by having a jab every six months.

Most of those on the trial were already taking high-dose statins.

But those given the jabs saw their cholesterol levels brought down by 50 per cent.