Amgen Inc. issued the following announcement on Oct. 24.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced that it is making Repatha® (evolocumab), an innovative biologic medicine for people with high cholesterol who are at risk for heart attacks and strokes, available at a reduced list price of $5,850 per year. This 60 percent reduction from the medicine's original list price will improve affordability by lowering patient copays, especially for Medicare patients.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8004559-amgen-repatha-reduced-list-price/.
"Cardiovascular disease is one of the country's most significant health challenges, and every 40 seconds someone in America has a heart attack or stroke," said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. "Repatha can help to address this significant public health issue, but concerns over out-of-pocket costs have proven to be a barrier to its use for too many patients. We want to make sure that every patient who needs Repatha gets Repatha."
Bradway noted that an estimated 75 percent of Medicare patients prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor never actually fill their prescriptions, mainly due to high out-of-pocket costs.
"Since turning 65 and going on Medicare I have had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life – can I afford to stay on Repatha, the only thing, even after nine stents and numerous statins, that has worked to lower my cholesterol?" says Repatha patient Bob C. from Boca Raton, Fl. "Given my family history of heart disease, today's announcement means that I can continue taking a therapy that has been so effective for me."
Today's action reflects the Company's active participation in the American Heart Association's (AHA) Value in Healthcare Initiative. It also reflects Amgen's support for the goal of President Trump and his Administration to lower the price of drugs for U.S. consumers. In May of this year, the Company decided not to proceed with price increases on its medicines that had been planned for July. No price increases on any Amgen medicines have been taken since then or are planned for the balance of the year.
Amgen is making Repatha available at a reduced list price by introducing new National Drug Codes (NDCs). SureClick®, the most commonly used delivery system, will be available immediately; the Pre-Filled Syringe and Pushtronex®(monthly, on-body infusor) delivery systems will be available in the next 2-3 months. The lower priced Repatha is identical to the Repatha currently available.
"This is a unique solution for a unique situation," said Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations at Amgen.
Throughout 2018, Amgen has been offering payers significant rebates on Repatha in exchange for improved patient access through, for example, more simple utilization management criteria. The Company now has agreements in place with payers representing greater than 65 percent of Repatha's commercial revenue.
"Unfortunately, higher rebates don't typically result in lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, especially for Medicare patients," Gordon said. "We are confident today's action will address this challenge."
To allow for a smooth transition to these lower-priced options, Amgen will continue offering Repatha at its original list price for a period of time, with an expectation of discontinuing the original list price of Repatha by the end of 2020 or sooner.
"While we hope more patients will benefit from swift adoption of these lower-priced options, it is ultimately a payer decision," Gordon said.
"At Express Scripts, our goal is to ensure affordability and ensure patients get the novel medicines they need," said Steve Miller, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer of Express Scripts. "With a new lower list price for Repatha, Amgen is taking an important step forward to help payers be better positioned to provide breakthrough medicines and help people achieve better outcomes."
Patients or physicians who need help understanding these changes can contact RepathaReady® (1-844-REPATHA). The RepathaReady program provides a comprehensive suite of services to help patients and providers, including a Repatha $5 co-pay card for eligible commercially insured patients, insurance coverage support and injection training. Amgen also provides patient assistance for its medicines marketed in the U.S. in a variety of ways, including free medicines through the Amgen Safety Net Foundation for qualifying individuals with no or limited drug coverage.
Elevated "bad cholesterol" or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for heart attack and stroke prevention. According to a recent Centers of Disease Control (CDC) report, 39 million adults could benefit from managing their cholesterol. Within this population, patients with established cardiovascular disease are at greatest risk for heart attack and stroke.
Amgen to Webcast Investor Call
Amgen will host a webcast call for the investment community on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET. Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations at Amgen, will participate.
Live audio of the investor call will be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public.
The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com, under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event.
Repatha Cardiovascular Outcomes (FOURIER) Study: Key Outcomes
The 27,564-patient Repatha cardiovascular outcomes study (FOURIER) demonstrated that adding Repatha to optimized statin therapy resulted in a statistically significant 20 percent (p<0.001) reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) represented in the key secondary composite endpoint of time to first heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death. The study found a statistically significant 15 percent reduction (p<0.001) in the risk of the primary composite endpoint, which included hospitalization for unstable angina, coronary revascularization, heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.
The magnitude of risk reduction in both the primary and key secondary composite endpoints grew over time, with the robust benefit starting as early as six months and accruing through the median 2.2 years of the study.
Patients on Repatha experienced a reduction in the risk of heart attack (27 percent, nominal p<0.001), stroke (21 percent, nominal p=0.01) and coronary revascularization (22 percent, nominal p<0.001). Consistent with recent trials of more intensive LDL-C lowering, there was no observed effect on cardiovascular mortality. Similarly, there was no observed effect on hospitalization for unstable angina.
The safety profile of Repatha in the outcomes trial was generally consistent with the safety profile for the 12- and 52-week controlled trials involving patients with primary hyperlipidemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). Common adverse reactions included diabetes mellitus, nasopharyngitis, and upper respiratory tract infection.
Repatha Cardiovascular Outcomes (FOURIER) Study Design
FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular OUtcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk), a multinational Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, is designed to evaluate whether treatment with Repatha in combination with statin therapy compared to placebo plus statin therapy reduces cardiovascular events. The primary endpoint is the time to cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, or coronary revascularization. The key secondary endpoint is the time to cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke.
Eligible patients with high cholesterol (LDL-C ≥70 mg/dL or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non-HDL-C] ≥100 mg/dL) and clinically evident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at more than 1,300 study locations around the world were randomized to receive Repatha subcutaneous 140 mg every two weeks or 420 mg monthly plus effective statin dose; or placebo subcutaneous every two weeks or monthly plus effective statin dose. Optimized statin therapy was defined as at least atorvastatin 20 mg or equivalent daily with a recommendation for at least atorvastatin 40 mg or equivalent daily where approved. The study was event-driven and continued until at least 1,630 patients experienced a key secondary endpoint.
About Repatha® (evolocumab)
Repatha® (evolocumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Repatha binds to PCSK9 and inhibits circulating PCSK9 from binding to the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), preventing PCSK9-mediated LDLR degradation and permitting LDLR to recycle back to the liver cell surface. By inhibiting the binding of PCSK9 to LDLR, Repatha increases the number of LDLRs available to clear LDL from the blood, thereby lowering LDL-C levels.
Repatha is approved in more than 60 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Canada and in all 28 countries that are members of the European Union. Applications in other countries are pending.
U.S. Repatha Indication
Repatha is a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9) inhibitor antibody indicated:
- to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization in adults with established cardiovascular disease.
- as an adjunct to diet, alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering therapies (e.g., statins, ezetimibe), for treatment of adults with primary hyperlipidemia (including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia [HeFH]) to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
- as an adjunct to diet and other LDL-lowering therapies (e.g., statins, ezetimibe, LDL apheresis) in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) who require additional lowering of LDLC.
The safety and effectiveness of Repatha have not been established in pediatric patients with HoFH who are younger than 13 years old or in pediatric patients with primary hyperlipidemia or HeFH.
Important U.S. Safety Information
Contraindication: Repatha® is contraindicated in patients with a history of a serious hypersensitivity reaction to Repatha®. Serious Hypersensitivity reactions including angioedema have occurred in patients treated with Repatha®.
Allergic reactions: Hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. angioedema, rash, urticaria) have been reported in patients treated with Repatha®, including some that led to discontinuation of therapy. If signs or symptoms of serious allergic reactions occur, discontinue treatment with Repatha®, treat according to the standard of care, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.
Adverse Reactions in Primary Hyperlipidemia (including HeFH): The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha® and occurring more frequently than placebo) in clinical trials were: nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, back pain, and injection site reactions.
From a pool of the 52-week trial and seven 12-week trials: Local injection site reactions occurred in 3.2% and 3.0% of Repatha®-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common injection site reactions were erythema, pain, and bruising.
Allergic reactions occurred in 5.1% and 4.7% of Repatha®-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common allergic reactions were rash (1.0% versus 0.5% for Repatha® and placebo, respectively), eczema (0.4% versus 0.2%), erythema (0.4% versus 0.2%), and urticaria (0.4% versus 0.1%).
Adverse Reactions in the Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial: The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha® and occurring more frequently than placebo) were: diabetes mellitus (8.8% Repatha®, 8.2% placebo), nasopharyngitis (7.8% Repatha®, 7.4% placebo), and upper respiratory tract infection (5.1% Repatha®, 4.8% placebo).
Among the 16,676 patients without diabetes mellitus at baseline, the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus during the trial was 8.1% in patients assigned to Repatha® compared with 7.7% in those assigned to placebo.
Adverse Reactions in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH): The adverse reactions that occurred in at least two patients treated with Repatha® and more frequently than placebo were: upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, gastroenteritis, and nasopharyngitis.
Immunogenicity: Repatha® is a human monoclonal antibody. As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity with Repatha®.
Please contact Amgen Medinfo at 800-77-AMGEN (800-772-6436) or 844-REPATHA (844-737-2842) regarding Repatha availability or find more information, including full Prescribing Information, at www.amgen.com and www.Repatha.com.
Original source can be found here.
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