According to a story from PR Newswire, the pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals are implementing a plan to make Praluent injections more accessible and affordable for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. While many cases of this condition can be treated with high doses of statins, some high-risk patients with severe condition often need access to other treatment options. However, these alternatives are costly. The companies are offering a reduced net price for the injections for payers that are willing to lower access barriers.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic predisposition for unusually high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. It is widely known that high levels of LDL cholesterol greatly increase an individual’s risk of cardiovascular diseases, including potentially fatal heart attacks and stroke. The vast majority of people with this condition have not been diagnosed. In 50 to 80 percent of cases, the high levels of cholesterol are caused by a genetic mutation. Familial hypercholesterolemia presents in both heterozygous and homozygous variants; generally, the homozygous type is less responsive to treatment. To learn more about this condition, click here.
The reduced price Praluent injections will be prioritized for the especially high-risk patients. High-risk patients will be considered those that are at greatest risk for heart attacks, including people who have experienced a coronary event earlier in their lives and those who, despite taking maximum strength statins, are unable to get the LDL levels below 100mg/dL.
Praluent works because it keeps the protein PCSK9 from binding the LDL receptors in the liver, which means that more receptors will be available to absorb LDL cholesterol, which will therefore reduce its concentration in the blood. Currently, the medication is approved for use in conjunction with a dieting regimen and maximum strength statins for the treatment of FH. Praluent can also be used either by itself or with alternative LDL reducing treatments, which may be necessary in patients that are not responsive to statins.
The companies plan to meet with insurers in order to negotiate pricing for those providers that have unconditionally agreed to lower barriers to treatment access for high-risk FH patients. Hopefully, this will lead to an increase in accessibility and lives saved.
