With all the focus on the stellar launch of Regeneron's
One of those drugs, REGN727, which Sanofi calls SAR236553, is ready to hit phase 3 trials on the back of solid phase 2 data.
The drug targets a protein called PCSK9, which promotes the degradation of the LDL receptors that remove the bad cholesterol from the blood. Inhibiting PCSK9 increases the receptors, which decreases the cholesterol levels as evidenced by the 28.9% to 67.9% reduction in LDL cholesterol compared with a 10.7% reduction in patients receiving placebo.
Those are some fairly impressive numbers considering the patients have familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic mutation that causes extremely high cholesterol levels that couldn't be controlled by statins with or without Merck's
REGN727 looks good, but it will have competition. Amgen
Regeneron and Sanofi are ahead of the other drugs attacking PSCK9, but they'll have to deal with Isis Pharmaceuticals
Those results should come out before phase 3 data on REGN727 is available, giving the drug an efficacy/safety target to reach if Regeneron is going to have another hit on its hands.
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