Sanofi and Regeneron report positive data from new Praluent study

Sanofi and Regeneron have announced positive data from a phase III trial assessing the safety and efficacy of their drug Praluent.

Results from the ODYSSEY ESCAPE study have shown the benefits of Praluent in the treatment of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited form of high cholesterol.

Typically, this condition requires chronic, weekly or bi-weekly apheresis therapy – a procedure whereby LDL cholesterol is removed from the blood – but Sanofi's drug is able to reduce the need for this treatment.

The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that patients who added Praluent to their existing treatment regimen reduced the frequency of their apheresis therapy by 75 percent compared to placebo. Indeed, 63 percent of Praluent patients no longer needed apheresis at all.

Dr Jay Edelberg, head of cardiovascular development at Sanofi, said: "The results demonstrate that treatment with Praluent may help these patients decrease the frequency or even eliminate the need for apheresis."

The wider ODYSSEY study programme consists of 16 phase III trials in total.