Friday, August 28, 2015

Amgen Gets Approval On New Cholesterol Drug

Thousand Oaks-based biopharmaceuticals developer Amgen said Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its new, cholesterol lowering drug, Repatha. The medication is being aimed at patients with high LDL-C "bad" cholesterol. The medication works by inhibiting the production of a protein, convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), which reduces the ability of the liver to remove bad LDL cholesterol from the blood. Amgen said the new medication will cost $542.3 for a 140mg, single-use syringe, or $14,100 annually if administered every two weeks.