• FDA also recently approved Praluent label update for some patients currently requiring LDL apheresis therapy

PARIS, France and TARRYTOWN, NY, USA I September 12, 2018 I Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Praluent® (alirocumab) Injection, a PCSK9 inhibitor. The sBLA outlines a proposed update to the Prescribing Information to include the effect of Praluent in reducing the overall risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). MACE is an umbrella term that includes heart attack, ischemic stroke, death from coronary heart disease and unstable angina requiring hospitalization. The FDA set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of April 28, 2019.

The sBLA is supported by data from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES, a Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial that assessed the effect of Praluent in 18,924 patients who had an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), such as a heart attack, between 1-12 months (median 2.6 months) before enrolling in the trial. Results of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session & Expo in March 2018.

The effect of Praluent on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, including MACE, is currently being reviewed and has not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

Additional Treatment Option for Patients Who Currently Require Apheresis Therapy

In addition, the FDA recently approved an update to the Praluent Prescribing Information to include clinical information regarding its use in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) who require additional lowering of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) along with diet and maximally-tolerated statin therapy and who are undergoing apheresis treatment. Apheresis is a procedure where LDL-C is removed from the blood, in a process similar to kidney dialysis. The recommended dose of Praluent in patients undergoing LDL apheresis is 150 mg once every 2 weeks. Praluent can be administered without regard to timing of apheresis.

The update is supported by data from the pivotal Phase 3 ODYSSEY ESCAPE trial of 62 patients with HeFH, an inherited form of high cholesterol, whose cholesterol levels required chronic, weekly or bi-weekly apheresis therapy.

About Praluent
Praluent inhibits the binding of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) to the LDL receptor and thereby increases the number of available LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells to clear LDL, which lowers LDL-C levels in the blood. Praluent is being developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement.

Praluent is approved in more than 60 countries worldwide, including the U.S., Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico and Brazil, as well as the European Union (EU). In the U.S., Praluent is approved for use as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for the treatment of adults with HeFH or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who require additional lowering of LDL-C. The effect of Praluent on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been determined.

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists for 30 years, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to six FDA-approved treatments and over a dozen product candidates, all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through its proprietary VelociSuite® technologies, including VelocImmune® to yield optimized fully-human antibodies, and ambitious initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.

For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.

About Sanofi

Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.

With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.

Sanofi, Empowering Life

SOURCE: Sanofi