Smart Choices for Lowering Cholesterol: A Look at New Medications

In the Moscow Region, doctors are using new drugs to help people with high cholesterol. These drugs are called PCSK-9 inhibitors (alirocumab and evolocumab) and inclisiran. They work in different ways to lower cholesterol levels. Researchers looked at how many people might need these drugs. They found that in the first year, about 12, 228 people might use a mix of high-dose statins and one of these new drugs. By the third year, this number could go up to 12, 973 people. The cost of these new drugs is a big question. In the first year, treating one person with inclisiran costs less than treating them with evolocumab or alirocumab. In fact, it's about 23. 31% cheaper than evolocumab and 27. 66% cheaper than alirocumab.The total cost of treating all these patients is expected to go up a little bit each year. But this is mostly because more people are being diagnosed with high cholesterol, not because the drugs are more expensive. The researchers also checked if their results were reliable. They found that even if some of their guesses were a bit off, the overall results still held up. So, what does this all mean? Using these new drugs as part of a combination therapy seems to be a smart choice. It can help people with high cholesterol and a high risk of heart problems, and it won't break the bank.