FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval of Sanofi and Regeneron's Praluent® (alirocumab) Injection for Patients with Hypercholesterolemia

PARIS and TARRYTOWN, N.Y., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the approval of the investigational therapy Praluent^® (alirocumab) Injection. The Committee voted 13 to 3 (with no abstentions) that Sanofi and Regeneron had sufficiently established that the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, or bad cholesterol) lowering benefit of Praluent exceeds its risks to support approval in one or more patient populations. 

"We are pleased with the Committee's recommendation to approve Praluent. Our clinical trial program focused on patients with high unmet need in which Praluent delivered significant reductions in LDL-C on top of statins and other lipid-lowering therapies," said Elias Zerhouni, M.D., President, Global R&D, Sanofi. "Our Phase 3 Praluent development program investigated both a 75 mg and 150 mg dose, providing flexible dosing regimens that can be tailored to individual patient cholesterol level needs."

The Committee's recommendation was based on Praluent's benefit-risk profile, following review of efficacy and safety data from more than 5,000 patients across 10 pivotal Phase 3 double-blind trials ranging from six months to two years. Clinical data from the ODYSSEY Phase 3 program show consistent, positive results in reducing LDL-C. Common adverse events that were more frequently reported in patients treated with Praluent than the control groups included injection site reaction and pruritus (itching).

"The discovery of PCSK9 as a powerful regulator of cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease was one of the most important human genetic advances of the last decade," said George Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and President, Regeneron Laboratories. "Today's outcome brings us one step closer to translating this genetics-based discovery into a treatment that may help the many patients in need of additional cholesterol lowering."

The Advisory Committee's recommendation will be considered by the FDA in its review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Praluent. The FDA is not bound by the Committee's recommendation, but takes its advice into consideration when reviewing investigational medicines. The BLA for Praluent was accepted for priority review by the FDA with a target action date of July 24, 2015.

If approved by the FDA, Praluent is expected to be the first fully human monoclonal antibody targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) in the U.S. The Marketing Authorization Application for Praluent in the European Union is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EMA has accepted Praluent as the trade name for alirocumab, and it has been conditionally accepted by the FDA. The safety and efficacy of Praluent have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions.  Regeneron commercializes medicines for eye diseases, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including hypercholesterolemia, oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com.

Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements
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Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Regeneron"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Regeneron's products, product candidates, and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation Praluent™(alirocumab); unforeseen safety issues resulting from the administration of products and product candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron's product candidates in clinical trials; the likelihood and timing of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron's late-stage product candidates, including without limitation Praluent, and the impact of the recommendation of the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration discussed in the news release on the possible regulatory approval of Praluent; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron's marketed products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron's ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron's products and product candidates; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to Regeneron's products and product candidates; uncertainty of market acceptance and commercial success of Regeneron's products and product candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; coverage and reimbursement determinations by third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its sales or other financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license or collaboration agreement, including Regeneron's agreements with Sanofi and Bayer HealthCare LLC, to be cancelled or terminated without any further product success; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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