Sanofi and Regeneron receive access to praluent from Humana

Sanofi US and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced last week that the two companies will receive exclusive or preferred access to Praluent (alirocumab) injections from Humana for commercial and Medicare patients.

Praluent is currently the only PCSK9 inhibitor offered in two doses that can be altered by health care providers based on the patient’s LDL, or bad cholesterol. With Humana providing these rights, Praluent will become available to more than 170 million people across the United States.

Praluent was developed to be a dietary aide and a statin therapy to treat adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who are in need of having their LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol lowered.

There are approximately 8 million to 10 million patients in the U.S. that have trouble meeting LDL cholesterol levels suggested by health care providers, even with treatments that include statins. These numbers include patients with ASCVD and those who have inherited high LDL cholesterol levels. ASCVD is associated with plaque being built up in the arteries that leads to the possibility of reduced blood flow. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, chest pain, transient ischemic attack, revascularization and peripheral artery disease.