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CHMP recommends approval of Praluent (alirocumab) to reduce cardiovascular risk in people with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

CHMP recommends approval of Praluent (alirocumab) to reduce cardiovascular risk in people with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

PARIS and TARRYTOWN, NY - February 4, 2019 - The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for Praluent (alirocumab), recommending a new indication as an adjunct to correction of other risk factors. Praluent should be used in addition to a maximally tolerated dose of statin or can be used alone in patients intolerant to or inappropriate for statin therapy.

ASCVD is an umbrella term, defined as a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can lead to reduced blood flow and a number of serious conditions such as stroke, peripheral artery disease and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes heart attack and unstable angina.

The CHMP opinion is based on data from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES, a Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial that assessed the effect of Praluent in 18,924 patients who had an ACS between 1-12 months (median 2.6 months) before enrolling in the trial. Results from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial were published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2018.

The European Commission is expected to make a final decision in the coming months. Data from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES has also been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a target action date of April 28, 2019.

About ODYSSEY OUTCOMES
ODYSSEY OUTCOMES assessed the effect of Praluent on the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients who had experienced an ACS before enrolling in the trial, and who were already on intensive or maximally-tolerated statin treatment. Patients were randomized to receive Praluent (n=9,462) or a placebo (n=9,462) and were assessed for a median of 2.8 years, with some patients being treated for up to 5 years. Approximately 90% of patients were on a high-intensity statin.

The trial was designed to maintain patients' LDL-C levels between 25-50 mg/dL (0.65-1.29 mmol/L), using two different doses of Praluent (75 mg and 150 mg). Praluent-treated patients started the trial on 75 mg every 2 weeks and switched to 150 mg every 2 weeks if their LDL-C levels remained above 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) (n=2,615). Some patients who switched to 150 mg switched back to 75 mg if their LDL-C fell below 25 mg/dL (0.65 mmol/L) (n=805), and patients who experienced two consecutive LDL-C measurements below 15 mg/dL (0.39 mmol/L) while on the 75 mg dose (n=730) stopped active Praluent therapy for the remainder of the trial.