FDA Approves Repatha? (evolocumab) In Pediatric Patients Age 10 And Older With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

- In adults with established cardiovascular disease to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization
- As an adjunct to diet, alone or in combination with other low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)?lowering therapies, in adults with primary hyperlipidemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), to reduce LDL?C
- As an adjunct to diet and other LDL-C-lowering therapies in pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with HeFH, to reduce LDL-C
- As an adjunct to other LDL?C-lowering therapies in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), to reduce LDL?C The safety and effectiveness of Repatha??have not been established in pediatric patients with HeFH or HoFH?who?are younger than 10 years old or in pediatric patients with other types of hyperlipidemia.
- Contraindication:?Repatha??is contraindicated in patients with a history of a serious hypersensitivity reaction to evolocumab or any of the excipients in Repatha?. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including angioedema have occurred in patients treated with Repatha?.
- Hypersensitivity Reactions:?Hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema, have been reported in patients treated with Repatha?. If signs or symptoms of serious hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue treatment with Repatha?, treat according to the standard of care, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.
- Adverse Reactions in Adults with Primary Hyperlipidemia:?The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha??and more frequently than placebo) were: nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, back pain, and injection site reactions. From a pool of the 52-week trial and seven 12-week trials: Local injection site reactions occurred in 3.2% and 3.0% of Repatha?-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common injection site reactions were erythema, pain, and bruising. Hypersensitivity reactions occurred in 5.1% and 4.7% of Repatha?-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common hypersensitivity reactions were rash (1.0% versus 0.5% for Repatha??and placebo, respectively), eczema (0.4% versus 0.2%), erythema (0.4% versus 0.2%), and urticaria (0.4% versus 0.1%).
- Adverse Reactions in the Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial:?The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha??and more frequently than placebo) were: diabetes mellitus (8.8% Repatha?, 8.2% placebo), nasopharyngitis (7.8% Repatha?, 7.4% placebo), and upper respiratory tract infection (5.1% Repatha?, 4.8% placebo). Among the 16,676 patients without diabetes mellitus at baseline, the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus during the trial was 8.1% in patients treated with Repatha??compared with 7.7% in patients that received placebo.
- Adverse Reactions in Pediatric Patients with HeFH:?The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha??and more frequently than placebo) were: nasopharyngitis, headache, oropharyngeal pain, influenza, and upper respiratory tract infection.
- Adverse Reactions in Adults and Pediatric Patients with HoFH:?In a 12-week study in 49 patients, the adverse reactions that occurred in at least two patients treated with Repatha??and more frequently than placebo were: upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, gastroenteritis, and nasopharyngitis. In an open-label extension study in 106 patients, including 14 pediatric patients, no new adverse reactions were observed.
- Immunogenicity:?Repatha??is a human monoclonal antibody. As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity with Repatha?.