Sanofi, Renegeron To Lower Net Price Of Praluent Injection - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - French drug giant Sanofi SA (SNY, SNYNF) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) said they will lower the net price of Praluent, or alirocumab Injection in exchange for straightforward, more affordable patient access from Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX).

According to the companies, Praluent will become the exclusive PCSK9 inhibitor therapy on the Express Scripts national formulary. The agreement will significantly simplify the documentation necessary to secure insurance coverage and may help reduce out-of-pocket costs for eligible patients.

Despite having the broadest U.S. formulary coverage of any PCSK9 inhibitor, many patients have been unable to access Praluent because of the complicated utilization management process required by some insurance companies and high patient out-of-pocket costs, the two companies said.

The agreement will take effect on July 1, 2018 for commercial patients covered by the Express Scripts National Preferred Formulary, about 25 million individuals in total. Physicians will submit a simplified attestation form confirming that Praluent is appropriate for the patient based on the U.S. FDA-approved indication and patient history.

Also beginning in July 2018, Express Scripts will pass a portion of the Praluent rebates it receives from Sanofi and Regeneron directly to people enrolled in participating commercial health benefit plans, including many of those offered by employers. Praluent patients enrolled in such participating plans should see lowered out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy.

This is the first agreement since Sanofi and Regeneron announced in March 2018 that they would lower the net price of Praluent for payers willing to reduce access barriers for appropriate patients.