(Yicai) Aug. 30 -- Chinese people with high cholesterol are about to receive more options, including the first homegrown PCSK9 inhibitor, to lower their "bad cholesterol."

The PCSK9 inhibitor, developed by Innovent, has entered large hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai, industry insiders said to Yicai. The Beijing-based firm is the first Chinese company to gain approval for this type of medicine used to lower low-density lipoprotein, prescribed alongside statins. Innovent has not disclosed the price yet and the drug is not covered by public medical insurance.

Research data show that some 400 million people in China have abnormal levels of blood lipids, a condition known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Chinese hospitals currently offer two foreign PCSK9 inhibitors, developed by Amgen and Sanofi. The price is around CNY300 (USD41), covered by public medical insurance, but hospitals are reported to have shortages of the medicines.

The market is welcoming new products as earlier this month, Basel-based Novartis gained approval to sell the world's first small interfering RNA therapy to reduce LDL in China. The medicine called Leqvio (inclisiran) is given twice per year. However, in the United States, Leqvio costs over USD3,000 per shot and the annual cost is more than CNY40,000 (USD5,488).

Novartis did not disclose the estimated price of Leqvio in China despite Yicai's inquiry.

Editor: Emmi Laine