Alirocumab is a drug used to lower cholesterol and therefore to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke, for example.
Alirocumab is an easy-to-use injectable drug at home that contains an antibody capable of inhibiting the action of PSCK9, an enzyme that prevents the elimination of bad cholesterol in the blood.
- Alirocumab is indicated in patients with high cholesterol of hereditary origin or in those whose cholesterol does not decrease sufficiently with the use of conventional drugs.
- Such as simvastatin.
- Even at its maximum permitted dose.
Normally, 1 injection of 75 mg is recommended every 15 days, but your doctor may increase the dose to 150 mg every 15 days if you need to lower your cholesterol by more than 60%. The injection can be applied subcutaneously to the thigh, abdomen or arm, it is important to alternate the application sites.
Injections can be given by the person or caregiver after explanation by the doctor, nurse or pharmacist, but are easy to apply because they are a single-use pre-filled pen.
Allergic reactions such as itching, numular eczema and vascularitis may occur and the injection site may swell and hurt. In addition, respiratory symptoms such as sneezing and rhinitis are common.
This medicine is not suitable for children and adolescents up to the age of 18, as well as for pregnant women because no safety tests have been performed in these situations. It is also indicated during lactation as it passes into breast milk.
Alirocumab is a drug with the trade name Praluent, tested by Sanofi and Regeneron laboratories, and is not yet available for sale to the public.
Normally, conventional remedies for cholesterol, such as simvastatin, increase the production of PSCK9 and, therefore, after a while, the drug becomes less effective for lowering cholesterol, so Alirocumab can be used in addition to treatment with this type of drugs, in addition to being able to be used in a single treatment in patients who fail to reduce cholesterol with conventional drugs.
Learn how to complete treatment to control your blood cholesterol: