Praluent (Alirocumab)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Praluent Used For?
Praluent contains alirocumab, a protein that helps lower cholesterol levels in your blood. It’s an injectable medicine that works with other cholesterol-lowering treatments to reduce your risk of heart problems.
Primary Uses
Praluent is used to treat high levels of cholesterol in the blood when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough. It reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and chest pain (angina) in adults with cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol levels. It’s used alongside other cholesterol-lowering medicines like statins, or alone when statins can’t be used or don’t work well enough.
How It Works
Praluent is a monoclonal antibody that recognizes and attaches to a protein called PCSK9. By blocking PCSK9, it increases the number of LDL-R receptors available to remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from your blood. This results in lower levels of LDL cholesterol, which can build up in artery walls and cause blockages that lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Good to know: Praluent helps control your cholesterol levels but doesn’t cure your condition. It works best when combined with a cholesterol-lowering diet and exercise as recommended by your doctor.
How to Take Praluent
Praluent is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) that you can learn to give yourself or have someone else give you after proper training.
Dosage Instructions
The recommended starting dose is either 75mg once every two weeks or 300mg once every four weeks. Your doctor may adjust your dose based on your cholesterol levels. For the 300mg dose, you can either inject one 300mg injection at one site, or two 150mg injections at different sites. Allow Praluent to warm to room temperature (up to 25°C) for 30-40 minutes before injection. Inject into your stomach area, thigh, or upper arm, changing the injection site each time. Don’t inject where skin is tender, red, bruised, hard, sunburnt, or injured.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss a dose by less than 7 days, inject it as soon as you can, then continue with your regular schedule. If you miss a dose by more than 7 days and inject every 2 weeks, wait until your next scheduled dose. If you inject every 4 weeks, start a new schedule from when you inject the missed dose. Call your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse if you’re unsure when to inject.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Don’t use Praluent if it’s not clear to pale yellow or contains particles. Don’t shake the medicine.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Diarrhea
- Rash or purple-colored spots on skin
- Hives and reddish skin spots, sometimes with blisters
- Redness, swelling, pain, or bruising at injection site
- Itching
- Painless swelling under the skin
- Muscle pain
- Flu-like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, sneezing)
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- Swelling of face, lips, tongue, or other body parts
Important Warnings
Before using Praluent, make sure your doctor knows about all your medical conditions and any allergies you have.
Who Should Not Take Praluent
Don’t use Praluent if you’re allergic to alirocumab or any ingredients in the medicine, or if you’re allergic to medicines made using Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. Don’t use if the packaging is damaged or past the expiry date. This medicine is not for children under 18 years old.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to other medicines, foods, preservatives, or dyes, take any other medicines, or have kidney or liver problems. Always inform any doctor, dentist, or pharmacist that you’re using Praluent.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
The effects of Praluent in pregnant women are not known, so it’s not recommended during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. It’s unknown whether Praluent passes into breast milk.
Allergic Reactions: Watch for signs of allergic reactions including shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty breathing, or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or other body parts. Seek immediate medical attention if these occur.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with how Praluent works. Always tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you’re taking.
- Tell your doctor about all prescription medicines
- Include vitamins and supplements bought without prescription
- Mention products from pharmacy, supermarket, or health food shops
- Check with your doctor if unsure about any interactions
Alcohol & Driving
The source material doesn’t provide specific information about alcohol consumption or driving restrictions while using Praluent.
Storage
Keep Praluent in the refrigerator at 2°C – 8°C. Don’t freeze, expose to extreme heat, or shake. Keep in the outer carton to protect from light. If needed, the medicine can be kept outside the refrigerator below 25°C for a maximum of 30 days. After removal from refrigerator, use within 30 days or discard. Keep away from children. Don’t store in bathrooms, near sinks, in cars, or on window sills.
Overdose Information
If you think you’ve used too much Praluent, seek urgent medical attention immediately. Phone the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, even if you have no symptoms. Keep these phone numbers handy for emergencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Praluent helps lower cholesterol levels, but the source doesn’t specify exact timing. Your doctor will monitor your cholesterol levels and may adjust your dose based on your response to treatment.
No, don’t stop using Praluent or change the dosage without checking with your doctor first. If you stop taking Praluent, your cholesterol levels may rise again since it helps control but doesn’t cure your condition.
If you miss a dose by less than 7 days, inject it as soon as you can and continue your regular schedule. If you miss by more than 7 days, the instructions differ based on your dosing schedule – contact your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse for guidance.
Yes, the injection can be self-administered or given by another person after proper training in injection technique. Detailed instructions for use are provided with the medicine.
Inject under the skin of your stomach area (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm. Change the injection site each time to avoid soreness. Don’t inject where skin is tender, red, bruised, hard, sunburnt, or injured.
Keep Praluent in the refrigerator at 2°C – 8°C. Don’t freeze, shake, or expose to heat. Allow it to warm to room temperature for 30-40 minutes before injection. If removed from refrigerator, use within 30 days.
The effects of Praluent in pregnant women are not known, so it’s not recommended during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while using Praluent or if you’re planning to become pregnant.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.