Are the new cholesterol-lowering drugs such as alirocumab (Praluent) and evolocumab (Repatha) marvelous breakthroughs for treating heart disease? Or are they irrelevant because most patients who might need them cannot afford their hefty price tags? Will insurance companies pay for the new cholesterol drugs?
Cardiologists Weigh In:
Those questions are addressed in a suite of articles this week in JAMA Cardiology. Such new cholesterol drugs, known as PCSK9 inhibitors, cost $14,000 a year or more. As a result, cardiologists are faced with a dilemma. Should they applaud these drugs that lower LDL cholesterol substantially better than any other current treatment? Or should they look at cost effectiveness?
Too Pricey to Be Cost Effective:
The analyses of data from trials of evolocumab lead the scientists to the conclusion that either the price would need to be significantly lower or only people at extremely high risk for heart problems should take the drug. Currently, they conclude;
“that reducing the price of PCSK9 inhibitors remains the best approach to delivering the potential health benefits of PCSK9 inhibitors therapy at an acceptable cost.”
JAMA Cardiology, online, Aug 23, 2017
Side Effects of Repatha:
Evolocumab does have some side effects. The most common are:
- sore throat
- upper respiratory infection
- back pain and other muscle pain
- redness and soreness at the injection site
- sinusitis
- headache
- urinary tract infection
- dizziness
- elevated blood pressure
- diarrhea and digestive distress
Praluent Side Effects:
Alirocumab has a similar list of side effects:
- sore throat and stuffy nose
- redness and soreness at the injection site
- influenza or bronchitis
- urinary tract infection
- diarrhea
- muscle pain or cramps
- sinusitis
- bruising
- elevated liver enzymes
