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Getting started with Repatha®

What is Repatha®?

Repatha® is a medicine used to lower levels of cholesterol.

Why have I been prescribed Repatha®?

Repatha® is used:

  • along with diet and in combination with usual therapy, including cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and certain heart procedures (to restore blood flow to the heart) in adult patients who have cardiovascular disease by further lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
  • along with diet, alone or together with other cholesterol-lowering therapies, in adults with primary hyperlipidemia (high LDL cholesterol level in your blood) to reduce LDL cholesterol.
  • along with diet and other cholesterol-lowering therapies, to reduce LDL cholesterol in people 10 years and older who need additional lowering of the high LDL cholesterol in their blood because of a condition that runs in their family (heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia [HeFH]).
  • along with diet and other cholesterol-lowering therapies, to reduce LDL cholesterol in people 10 years and older who need additional lowering of the high LDL cholesterol in their blood because of a condition that runs in their family (homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia [HoFH]).

You should stay on your cholesterol-lowering diet while taking this medicine.

How does Repatha® lower cholesterol?

Repatha® (evolocumab injection) works by helping the liver’s ability to remove LDL-C, or “bad” cholesterol, from the blood. Evolocumab also lowers the level of the fatty substances called triglycerides, and raises the level of HDL-C, often referred to as “good” cholesterol.

Does Repatha® cause any side effects?

Like all medicines, Repatha® can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking Repatha®.

  • Flu or flu-like symptoms (high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough and chills)
  • Common cold, such as runny nose, sore throat or sinus infections (nasopharyngitis or upper respiratory tract infections)
  • Nausea
  • Back pain
  • Joint pain (also known as arthralgia)
  • Muscle pain (myalgia), with or without associated muscle weakness
  • High blood sugar levels (diabetes)
  • Injection site reactions (redness, bruising, pain, swelling or bleeding)
  • Allergic reactions including rash, hives, red itchy bumps on your skin (urticaria) and in rare cases, swelling of face, mouth, tongue or throat (angioedema)

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here, or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.