Daily Medication Pearl: Alirocumab (Praluent) for High Cholesterol

Medication Pearl of the Day: Alirocumab (Praluent)

Indication: Alirocumab(Praluent) is a proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor antibody indicated as adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for the treatment of adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, who require additional lowering of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C).

Insight:

• Dosing: The recommended starting dose of alirocumabis 75 mg once every 2 weeks administered subcutaneously because the majority of patients achieve sufficient LDL-C reduction with this dosage. An alternative starting dosage for patients who prefer less frequent dosing is 300 mg once every 4 weeks.
• Dosage form: Injection: 75 mg/mL or 150 mg/mL solution in a single-dose pre-filled pen Injection: 75 mg/mL or 150 mg/mL solution in a single-dose pre-filled syringe.
• Adverse events (AEs): The most commonly occurring AEs are nasopharyngitis, injection site reactions, and influenza.
• Mechanism of action: Alirocumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to PCSK9. PCSK9 attaches to the LDL receptors (LDLR) on the surface of hepatocytes to promote LDLR degradation within the liver.
• Manufacturer: Regeneron

Sources:

• Reduce the Risk of Future CV Events | PRALUENT® (alirocumab) Injection
• PRALUENT (alirocumab) injection (fda.gov)