(Yicai) Aug. 5 -- Sanofi has confirmed rumors that the French pharmaceutical company will pull its lipid-lowering drug from the Chinese market.

Praluent's exit from the Chinese market is partly due to the increasing inclusion of domestic proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in the national medical insurance reimbursement list, leading to a more diversified market supply, a spokesperson for Sanofi told Yicai yesterday.

In addition, global supply chain challenges for active pharmaceutical ingredients have also impacted Praluent's supply in China, the person noted.

According to an unverified document circulating online yesterday, Sanofi will cease promoting Praluent in the Chinese market, leading to a potential future supply shortage.

Praluent is a PCSK9 inhibitor for treating hyperlipidemia. Such drugs serve as a new treatment option for about 10 percent to 20 percent of patients who do not see satisfactory results after using mainstream first-line lipid-lowering medications, such as statins and fibrates.

In December 2019, Praluent became only the second imported PCSK9 inhibitor approved in China. The country has greenlit seven such inhibitors, including three imported and four domestic, with three being included in the national medical insurance reimbursement catalog, including Praluent.

Although Praluent will be pulled from China, Sanofi is still working on establishing a new cardiovascular product pipeline in the market, the spokesperson noted.

Praluent was included in the reimbursement scope of the 2021 national medical insurance negotiations list, with its price significantly reduced from CNY1,982 to CNY306 (USD275 to 42.65) per injection, leading to its China sales surging by three digits from 2022 to 2023.

Praluent's sales in Chinese hospitals across all channels, including primary healthcare institutions, topped CNY850 million (USD118 million) last year, giving it a market share of around 26 percent, according to industry reports. It was second only to Amgen's Evolocumab, which brought CNY1.4 billion (USD192 million) in sales.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev