Repatha is a medicine that lowers levels of ’bad’ cholesterol, a type of fat, in the blood.Repatha contains the active substance evolocumab, a monoclonal antibody (a type of specialised protein designed to attach to a target substance in the body).
Evolocumab is designed to attach to a substance called PCSK9 that affects the liver’s ability to take in cholesterol. By attaching to, and mopping up PCSK9, the medicine increases the amount of cholesterol entering the liver and so lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. Repatha is used in patients who cannot control their cholesterol levels with a cholesterol lowering diet alone. You should stay on your cholesterol lowering diet while taking this medicine.
Repatha can help prevent heart attack, stroke, and certain heart procedures to restore blood flow to the heart due to a build-up of fatty deposits in your arteries (also known as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease).
Repatha is used in addition to your cholesterol lowering diet if you are:
- an adult with a high cholesterol level in your blood (primary hypercholesterolaemia [heterozygous familial and non-familial] or mixed dyslipidaemia). It is given:
- together with a statin or other cholesterol lowering medication, if the maximum dose of a statin does not lower levels of cholesterol sufficiently.
- alone or together with other cholesterol lowering medications when statins do not work well or cannot be used.
- 12 years and older with a high cholesterol level in your blood because of a condition that runs in your family (homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia or HoFH). It is given:
- together with other cholesterol lowering treatments.
- an adult with a high cholesterol level in your blood and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (a history of heart attack, stroke or blood vessel problems). It is given:
- together with a statin or other cholesterol lowering medication, if the maximum dose of a statin does not lower levels of cholesterol sufficiently.
- alone or together with other cholesterol lowering medications when statins do not work well or cannot be used.