Two medicines, side by side
Alirocumab vs benralizumab
Alirocumab is labeled for angina, heart attack and coronary artery disease and high cholesterol; benralizumab for asthma. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of alirocumab since 2015 and of benralizumab since 2017. In FDA's classes, alirocumab is a pcsk9 inhibitor and benralizumab an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic antibody.
Check it at the source: the alirocumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 16, 2026); the benralizumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 13, 2026).
Highlights of the alirocumab record
Alirocumab (Praluent) · label of July 16, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPRALUENT ® is indicated: To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (coronary heart disease death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospitalization) in adults at increased risk for these events. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 24, 2015
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- $258.01 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the benralizumab record
Benralizumab (Fasenra) · label of May 13, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsFASENRA is an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) indicated for: • add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with severe asthma, and with an eosinophilic phenotype. ( 1.1 ) • treatment of adult patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 14, 2017
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Alirocumab label of July 16, 2026, Benralizumab label of May 13, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do alirocumab and benralizumab differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, alirocumab is a pcsk9 inhibitor and benralizumab an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic antibody.
How each works, in its label's words: Alirocumab, “Alirocumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9).”; Benralizumab, “Benralizumab is a humanized afucosylated, monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) that directly binds to the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα) with a dissociation constant of 11 pM.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Alirocumab, “Based on a population pharmacokinetic analysis, the median apparent half-life of alirocumab at steady state was 17 to …”; Benralizumab, “Absorption Following subcutaneous administration to patients with asthma, the absorption half-life was approximately …”
| Alirocumab | Benralizumab | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Angina, Heart attack and coronary artery disease, High cholesterol | Asthma |
| Pharmacologic class | PCSK9 Inhibitor | Interleukin-5 Receptor alpha-directed Cytolytic Antibody |
| How it works (label) | Alirocumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9). | Benralizumab is a humanized afucosylated, monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) that directly binds to the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα) with a dissociation constant of 11 pM. |
| Half-life (label) | Based on a population pharmacokinetic analysis, the median apparent half-life of alirocumab at steady state was 17 to 20 days in patients receiving alirocumab at subcutaneous doses of 75 mg every 2 weeks or 150 mg every … | Absorption Following subcutaneous administration to patients with asthma, the absorption half-life was approximately 3.5 days. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | July 24, 2015 | November 14, 2017 |
| First generic approved | none | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | none listed | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $258.01 per mL (Praluent 150 mg/mL pen) | n/a |
| 12-month price change | +3% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 24,935 | 19,893 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to alirocumab
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions