Diplomat to Dispense Cholesterol-Lowering Drug, REPATHA™

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. DPLO announced today that it will offer REPATHA™ (evolocumab), recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to treat patients with hereditary forms of high cholesterol and those at risk of cardiovascular disease. REPATHA™ is indicated as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for adult patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. REPATHA™ is also indicated as an adjunct to diet and other low-density lipoprotein-lowering therapies for the treatment of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. REPATHA™ is an antibody that targets PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9), a protein that reduces the liver's ability to remove low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from the blood. Mutations in the PCSK9 gene are often linked to high cholesterol, and REPATHA™ works to dramatically reduce these levels. "Statins are the most widely prescribed class of medications for those with high cholesterol, and for those who are statin-intolerant, finding treatment can be difficult," said Gary Kadlec, Diplomat's president. "With REPATHA™, we are motivated by the thought of offering those patients a new innovative means of treatment." High cholesterol, particularly elevated LDL-C, is the most common form of dyslipidemia, which is an abnormality of cholesterol and/or fats in the blood. Nearly one in three Americans have elevated LDL-C, which is recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. REPATHA™ is distributed by Amgen Inc. Please see full prescribing information for REPATHA™ at http://pi.amgen.com/united_states/repatha/repatha_pi_hcp_english.pdf. To learn more about Diplomat, visit www.diplomat.is.