Novartis’ $9.7B PCSK9 drug nabs first OK — now comes the challenge of finding a market

A year after Novartis wagered $9.7 billion on The Medicines Company and its PCSK9 drug, inclisiran is set for its first launch.

The EU has approved the RNAi therapy, christened Leqvio, for adults with hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia. Originally developed on Alnylam’s platform, it lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol — the bad kind — by turning off the production of PCSK9 at its source.