Repatha reduces need for apheresis in Phase III study

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) said Repatha evolocumab significantly reduced the need for apheresis among patients with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), meeting the primary endpoint of a Phase III study.

Apheresis is a three- to four-hour procedure to filter LDL-C from the blood. The 39-patient study evaluated patients with LDL-C levels between 100 and 190 mg/dL who had been receiving apheresis, and compared Repatha with continued apheresis. The primary endpoint was measured at six weeks, after which all patients switched to Repatha for another six weeks...