When a new class of cholesterol-lowering medications called PCSK9 inhibitors hit the market in 2015, they were instantly controversial because of their price. Amgen’s version, called Repatha, and a rival drug from Regeneron and Sanofi, Praluent, sell on average for $14,300 a year. Still, the drugs can help patients who cannot lower their cholesterol with traditional statins and therefore face a high risk of developing heart disease.
Yet 53% of those patients were unable to get insurance coverage for PCSK9 inhibitors in the year ended in August 2016, according to a study published today in the journal Circulation. Of the people who were turned down for the drugs, 57% already had a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or the dangerous buildup of plaque in the arteries.
