Heart attack survivors who can’t tolerate or get enough help from cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins soon may have an easier time getting insurers to pay for a newer medicine that works in a different way.
The drug, Praluent (PRALL-yoo-ent), modestly cut the risk of death or heart problems in a big study of people who recently had suffered a heart attack and already were taking or had tried statins.
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Praluent and a similar drug have been sold since 2015. But they cost more than $14,000 a year and insurers have balked at covering them except for people with very high heart risks. The new evidence that Praluent improves survival may help expand its use.
Results were discussed Saturday at a cardiology conference in Orlando.
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