Amgen debuts Repatha in UK, with price at a huge discount to that in USA

US biotech giant Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) said on Tuesday that its new cholesterol lowerer Repatha (evolocumab) is now available in the UK and is the first in a new class of treatment to help people who are unable to get below guideline cholesterol levels using existing medicines and an appropriate diet.

The science behind evolocumab is based on genetic insights into people who have especially high, and especially low, levels of a protein called PCSK9 - which inhibits the body's natural system for eliminating LDL-C from the blood. Evolocumab is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks PCSK9, that is, a PCSK9 inhibitor, a new class of drugs that comes with a very steep price tag compared with current standard-of-care statins. However, many people claim to suffer debilitating fatigue, muscle pains and nausea from taking statins, while others are simply immune to the benefits.

Amgen said it would charge £340.20 ($521.70) in the UK for a 28-day supply of Repatha, or roughly $6,780 a year, against a list price of $14,100 in the USA, where the drug is also being launched this week.