Alirocumab more effective than Zetia in ODYSSEY ALTERNATIVE trial for LDL-C - Regeneron + Sanofi

Alirocumab from Regeneron + Sanofi, helped 10 times as many high-risk patients unable to tolerate widely-used statins get their "bad" LDL-C cholesterol down to target levels than Merck & Co's Zetia (ezetimibe), according to data from a clinical trial. Patients in the 360-subject study, called ODYESSEY ALTERNATIVE, on average had LDL levels above 190 and all were deemed statin intolerant due to muscle and skeletal side effects when taking these medicines. After 24 weeks of treatment, alirocumab lowered LDL by 45 percent compared with 14.6 percent for Zetia (ezetimibe). Importantly, 42 percent of alirocumab patients got LDL down to target levels versus 4 percent for Zetia. That rose to 51 percent versus 6 when excluding those who did not complete 24 weeks of treatment. Target goals were for LDL under 70 for very high-risk patients and under 100 for high-risk patients.