Praluent price cut still not enough, says ICER

Last week, USA-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) and French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext SAN) were the latest to announce a massive price reduction for their PCSK9 inhibitor.

Following on from US biotech Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) cutting the price of Repatha (evolocumab) by 60% in October, the partners have announced that Praluent (alirocumab) will be made available at a new reduced US list price of $5,850 annually, also a 60% reduction from the original price, for both the 75mg and 150mg doses, beginning in early March.

Both drugs were approved in 2015 with initial list prices of more than $14,000 a year. Regeneron Praluent sales in full-year 2018 were $306.8 million, up 5.6%, while Repatha generated $550 million revenues.