The Investor
31 Aug 2026, 16:29
Amgen’s Repatha Cuts Risk of Death by 20% in High-Risk Patients
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) announced Monday that its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha reduced the risk of death by 20% among high-risk adults who had not previously suffered a heart attack or stroke, according to a pre-specified analysis of the Phase 3 VESALIUS-CV trial.
The study included more than 12,000 patients and evaluated Repatha alongside statins or other LDL cholesterol-lowering treatments. Amgen said the drug produced meaningful reductions in both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, with the mortality benefit beginning to emerge after approximately 1.5 years and continuing through a median follow-up of 4.6 years.
The findings make Repatha the first PCSK9 inhibitor to demonstrate a reduction in all-cause mortality in a Phase 3 trial involving high-risk primary-prevention patients, according to Amgen. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 and simultaneously published in Circulation.
Additional analyses strengthened the cardiovascular case for Repatha. The treatment reduced first, subsequent and total cardiovascular events, while a reduction in heart-attack risk was observed as early as six months after treatment began. The benefit was primarily associated with fewer heart attacks caused by atherosclerotic plaque rupture and fewer larger infarctions.
The results could strengthen Repatha’s position in the cardiovascular market by supporting earlier and more aggressive LDL reduction before patients experience their first major cardiovascular event. Amgen also presented real-world studies showing that many high-risk patients remain undertreated and fail to reach recommended LDL cholesterol targets, suggesting a potentially significant population that could benefit from more intensive lipid-lowering therapy.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) announced Monday that its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha reduced the risk of death by 20% among high-risk adults who had not previously suffered a heart attack or stroke, according to a pre-specified analysis of the Phase 3 VESALIUS-CV trial.
The study included more than 12,000 patients and evaluated Repatha alongside statins or other LDL cholesterol-lowering treatments. Amgen said the drug produced meaningful reductions in both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, with the mortality benefit beginning to emerge after approximately 1.5 years and continuing through a median follow-up of 4.6 years.
The findings make Repatha the first PCSK9 inhibitor to demonstrate a reduction in all-cause mortality in a Phase 3 trial involving high-risk primary-prevention patients, according to Amgen. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 and simultaneously published in Circulation.
Additional analyses strengthened the cardiovascular case for Repatha. The treatment reduced first, subsequent and total cardiovascular events, while a reduction in heart-attack risk was observed as early as six months after treatment began. The benefit was primarily associated with fewer heart attacks caused by atherosclerotic plaque rupture and fewer larger infarctions.
The results could strengthen Repatha’s position in the cardiovascular market by supporting earlier and more aggressive LDL reduction before patients experience their first major cardiovascular event. Amgen also presented real-world studies showing that many high-risk patients remain undertreated and fail to reach recommended LDL cholesterol targets, suggesting a potentially significant population that could benefit from more intensive lipid-lowering therapy.
