Praluent Soon to Be Available at Reduced Price

Regeneron and Sanofi announced that both doses of Praluent (alirocumab) will be made available at a new US list price—60% lower than the original—in early March.

In March 2018, the Companies had announced a lower US net price for payers in order to improve medication access for high-risk patients. However, seniors who were prescribed Praluent were still unable to afford the medication due to high co-pay or co-insurance costs.

“Offering a lower-priced Praluent will help lower seniors’ out-of-pocket costs and thereby remove another barrier to receiving this important medicine,” said Leonard S. Schleifer, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Regeneron. The change means most Medicare Part D patients will likely pay between $25 to $150 per month depending on their insurance plan. Patients with commercial insurance will continue to have copay assistance through MyPraluent.

Praluent, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor, is currently indicated as an adjunct to diet and maximally-tolerated statin therapy for the treatment of adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who require additional lowering of LDL-C.

Commenting on the decision to reduce the price of Praluent, American College of Cardiology (ACC) President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC said, “Our updated cholesterol guideline, issued in November, underscores that drug costs should be factored in when determining the most appropriate treatment strategy for a patient, as cost can be a barrier to access. Sanofi and Regeneron’s efforts today and Amgen’s announcement last year to lower the cost of PCSK9s and increase transparency for patients is a big step toward removing barriers to access and improving heart health for many patients.”

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