Amgen’s evolocumab to become gold standard among add-on statin therapies

22 July 2014

Leading independent biotech firm Amgen’s (Nasdaq: AMGN) investigational compound evolocumab (AMG-145) is set to become the clinical gold-standard among statin add-on therapies used to treat patients with dyslipidemia, new research indicates.

The competitive advantages this proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor has over other statin add-on therapies are due to its highly efficacious LDL-C lowering capabilities and the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new report from Decision Resources Group.

Other key findings from the DecisionBase report titled, Dyslipidemia (in statin-treated patients): Do Physicians Have High Hopes for LDL-lowering Therapies in Cardiovascular Outcomes? include:

Prescribing decisions: Surveyed US and European primary care physicians (PCPs) agree that a therapy’s ability to reduce the rate of cardiovascular morbidity is the attribute that most influences their decisions regarding prescribing in dyslipidemia (in statin-treated patients).
Key unmet needs: Reduced rate of cardiovascular morbidity was highlighted by US PCPs as a major unmet need relating to the treatment of dyslipidemia (in statin-treated patients). Interviewed thought leaders note that the emerging PCSK9-inhibitor drug class has the potential to confirm the relationship between decreased LDL-C levels and reduced cardiovascular morbidity, and are therefore excited about future results of the cardiovascular outcomes trials.
Factors influencing formulary decisions: Surveyed US payers indicate that improvements in the key efficacy attribute of greater reduction in incidence of cardiovascular morbidity will be the chief driver for formulary inclusion.

Additional lipid-lowering treatments still necessary

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