Real-world data on the prescription of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in high-risk patients in a tertiary medical center

• Published in: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association Vol. 121; no. 9; pp. 1877 - 1880
• Main Authors: Tsai, Chia-Ling, Chang, Ya-Hui, Su, Cheng-Huang, Wu, Yih-Jer, Yeh, Hung-I, Lin, Chao-Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors; Taiwan national health insurance; Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors; Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Taiwan national health insurance
• ISSN: 0929-6646; 1876-0821
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2021.11.007

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, alirocumab and evolocumab, are currently approved for clinical use by Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) in patients who had a recent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with persistent LDL-C levels >135 mg/dL despite high-intensity statin (HIS) or maximally tolerated statin in combination with ezetimibe treatment. Since January 2020 to July 2020, total of 10 patients who had received coronary revascularization received NHI-approved alirocumab or evolocumab in our institution. The mean reduction of LDL-C following PCSK9 inhibitors treatment at 6-month and 12-month were respectively 62.5% and 60.2%. The patients in our study were younger, had more frequently received HIS/ezetimibe, and had higher baseline LDL-C levels with a greater LDL-C reduction following PCSK9 inhibitors treatment compared with those patients in previously studies. Our findings highlight that the NHI's regulation of PCSK9 inhibitors application should be re-evaluation to increase the use of NHI-approved PCSK9 inhibitors in high-risk patients.