Lack of mortality benefit with evolocumab highlighted in ICER review

Following release of new clinical evidence in March 2017, the US Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has developed a New Evidence Update to its 2015 review of the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of PCSK9 inhibitors for management of high cholesterol. The comparative clinical effectiveness portion of the update is now available.

The update covers new information issued since the 2015 reporton PCSK9 inhibitors, including an analysis of recently-released evidence from the FOURIER trial of evolocumab, which is marketed by US biotech major Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) as Repatha. These results showed that evolocumab combined with statins is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke, but did not show a statistically-significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality. The cost-effectiveness analysis in ICER’s 2015 review had assumed a mortality benefit that was not found in the FOURIER study.

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