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ORLANDO -- The ongoing battle over reimbursement for PCSK9 inhibitors may have reached a truce: Sanofi and Regeneron that they "will offer payers that agree to reduce burdensome access barriers for high-risk patients a further reduced net price for Praluent (alirocumab)."
The drugmakers did not announce a specific price but said it would be "in alignment with" the of cost-effectiveness at an annual price point of $4,500 to $8,000 in higher-risk patients with LDL cholesterol of ≥100 mg/dL despite intensive statin therapy.
The move was precipitated by findings from the ODYSSEY Outcomes trial, which reported here at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting a 15% relative reduction in both major adverse events and all-cause mortality driven by those with a baseline LDL of at least 100 mg/dL on maximally-tolerated or high-intensity statin therapy.
"This is certainly encouraging," commented Kim Eagle, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Makers of the competitor have announced an aggressive coupon campaign to help patients but that's really a Band-aid."
Because these agents would likely need to be given life-long, "the notion that a 6- or 12-month coupon is going to have a huge effect isn't couched in reality," he added. "I'm all for seeing the cost go down, but this is really going to take a sustained effort."
Currently, alirocumab and evolocumab (Repatha) have been on the order of $14,000 a year.
"If they're talking about an agent that could be sold for a third of that, and insurers would cover it, that would be a game changer," Eagle said.
In a press release, ICER president Steven Pearson, MD expressed hope that "responsible pricing aligned with value will generate reciprocal action from payers to ensure appropriate access for patients today while sustaining broader affordability for patients and the health system in the long term."