Our recently published study on adherence to lipid-lowering drugs was featured in a newspaper article in Dagens Medisin. Our study tracks all patients in Norway who initiated treatment with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 monoclonal antibodies (PCSK9 mAbs) from 2015 to 2023.
The findings reveal that more than half of PCSK9 mAb-users discontinue statin treatment, whereas 40% discontinue ezetimibe, despite the fact that the most effective regimen combines statins, ezetimibe, and PCSK9 mAbs. PCSK9 mAbs are recommended for high-risk patients who do not achieve LDL-C targets with statins and ezetimibe alone. PCSK9 mAbs were introduced in Norway in 2015, but their accessibility has been limited by strict reimbursement rules.
Utilizing real world evidence from the Norwegian Drug Registry, we studied persistence and adherence to PCSK9 mAbs, statins and ezetimibe before and after initation of PCSK9 mABs. Our study includes approximately 4,800 patients who began PCSK9 mAb treatment in Norway from 2015 to 2023.
This research was conducted in collaboration with Oslo Economics, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, and Novartis, and sponsored by Novartis. The study has been published in the European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes and can be accessed here.
