Australian govt to subsidize Praluent

A new medicine that helps reduce unacceptably high ‘bad cholesterol’ and the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke has gained long-awaited listing on Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The drug is Praluent (alirocumab), from French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN). Injected once or twice a month, the medicine counters high cholesterol (LDL-C) by targeting a protein in the body called PCSK9 and causing the liver to draw more cholesterol out of the blood stream. It is used in addition to two common cholesterol-lowering medicines (a statin and ezetimibe).

As a result, around 20,000 Australian adults, including those with a history of cardiovascular disease symptoms together with an inherited cholesterol disorder or additional high-risk factors, and whose LDL-cholesterol remains above 2.6 mmol/L despite dietary therapy, exercise and taking high-dose cholesterol-lowering medicines (a statin and ezetimibe), may be eligible for Praluent under the PBS.