Regeneron, Sanofi, Cut Cholesterol Drug List Price by 60 Percent

Regeneron and Sanofi are slashing the list price of their blockbuster cholesterol drug, Praluent (alirocumab), by up to 60 percent, the companies announced.

Regeneron and Sanofi offered to cut Praluent’s list price last year in exchange for health plans dropping “burdensome access barriers” to the elder patients targeted for care. Nearly a year later, the companies say they discovered that many elders still weren’t able to afford the drug’s out-of-pocket costs. Medicare Part D patients were spending up to $400 per month in their co-pays, depending on their prescription plans.

The companies estimate that Medicare patients will now pay between $50 and $150 per month, on average. The yearly list price will now be $5,850.

Drug companies are under increasing scrutiny for their pricing as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., seek to curb Medicare costs.