The less-frequent dosing regimen of Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis AG’s cholesterol therapy, inclisiran, under development in the hands of subsidiary The Medicines Co., positions the small interfering RNA (siRNA) drug to take on marketed proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9)-targeting antibodies as well as statins in the busy therapeutic space. Statins are the gold standard now, but about 80% of patients don’t reach their lipid goals.
No matter how effective it is, a drug is worthless if the people who need it can’t afford it. That’s been almost an anthem for patients and policy wonks testifying before U.S. Congress on drug prices.
Novo Nordisk A/S' Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable version of the company's glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, semaglutide, first FDA-approved in late 2017, has won the agency' approval for a new indication: reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and known heart disease.