Magnitude of ASCVD Warrants Higher Priority Than Assigned by Advisory Committee: Important for Patient Access to Therapies

For Immediate Release
March 2, 2021

Contact: John M. Clymer
Executive Director
202-903-7303

Magnitude of ASCVD Warrants Higher Priority Than Assigned by Advisory Committee
Important for Patient Access to Therapies

While ICER’s advisory committee judged secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) to be of average or low priority, the magnitude of the condition says otherwise. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and high cholesterol is a major risk factor for CVD. Nearly 3 in 10 American adults have high LDL or bad cholesterol which leads to ASCVD and raises their risk of heart attack and stroke. Many people struggle to get their cholesterol under control because they need stronger therapies and/or they are unable to take statins. New therapies such as bempedoic acid and inclisiran will provide patients and their clinicians with additional treatment options.

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention’s Value & Access Steering Committee, comprised of diverse stakeholders, pointed out to ICER and its advisory committee that ICER’s model assumed ezetimibe use at a much higher level than occurs in the real world. Cost-effectiveness based on modeling assumptions that do not hold up in the real world could open the door for formulary decisions that would have the effect of reducing treatment options for patients.