Number of Patients Eligible for PCSK9 Inhibitors Based on Real-world Data From 2.5 Million Patients

PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) are safe and effective lipid-lowering drugs. Their main limitation is their high cost. The aim of this study was to estimate the number of patients eligible for treatment with PCSK9i according to distinct published criteria.

Data were obtained from the Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care. Included patients were equal to or older than 18 years and had at least 1 low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurement recorded between 2006 and 2014 (n = 2 500 907). An indication for treatment with PCSK9i was assigned according to the following guidelines: National Health System, Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis, Spanish Society of Cardiology, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society Task Force. Lipid-lowering treatment was defined as optimized if it reduced low-density lipoprotein levels by ≥ 50% and adherence was > 80%.

Among the Spanish population aged 18 years or older, the number of possible candidates to receive PCSK9i in an optimal lipid-lowering treatment scenario ranged from 0.1% to 1.7%, depending on the guideline considered. The subgroup of patients with the highest proportion of potential candidates consisted of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, and the subgroup with the highest absolute number consisted of patients in secondary cardiovascular prevention.

The number of candidates to receive PCSK9i in conditions of real-world clinical practice is high and varies widely depending on the recommendations of distinct scientific societies.