Prescription medication · PCSK9 Inhibitor
evolocumab
Also sold as Repatha. Repatha helps lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in adults and children aged 10 and older.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 155,068
- FDA reportsHeavily reported
- $271.21
- Brand price (NADAC)
evolocumab (Repatha) is a prescription PCSK9 Inhibitor. Repatha helps lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in adults and children aged 10 and older.
Repatha is a medicine that can lower cholesterol. It can also lower the risk of heart problems like heart attack and stroke.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$271.21/unit
Generic Available
No
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Repatha helps lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in adults and children aged 10 and older.
Common side effects
Common cold, Upper respiratory infection, Flu
Key warnings
Serious allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue (angioedema), have happened with Repatha.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from evolocumab's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Repatha is a PCSK9 inhibitor. It works by blocking a protein called PCSK9 in your body. Blocking PCSK9 helps your liver remove more cholesterol from your blood, which lowers your cholesterol levels.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 155,068 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for evolocumab, by number of reports
- Device Difficult To Use
Device Difficult To Use
32,421 reports
- Drug Dose Omission By Device
Drug Dose Omission By Device
24,327 reports
- Accidental Exposure To Product
Accidental Exposure To Product
16,287 reports
- Injection Site Pain 10,340
Injection Site Pain
10,340 reports
- Product Storage Error 6,630
Product Storage Error
6,630 reports
- Back Pain 5,430
Back Pain
5,430 reports
- Myalgia 5,267
Myalgia
5,267 reports
- Drug Dose Omission 4,929
Drug Dose Omission
4,929 reports
- Injection Site Bruising 4,556
Injection Site Bruising
4,556 reports
- Device Use Error 4,051
Device Use Error
4,051 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for evolocumab each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where evolocumab sits
evolocumab has more FDA adverse-event reports than 92% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is evolocumab; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 155,068 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2008–2025.
Total Reports
155,068
Reports Mentioning Death
1,849
1.2% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
7,680
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEVICE DIFFICULT TO USE | 32,421 |
| 2 | DRUG DOSE OMISSION BY DEVICE | 24,327 |
| 4 | ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE TO PRODUCT | 16,287 |
| 5 | INJECTION SITE PAIN | 10,340 |
| 6 | PRODUCT STORAGE ERROR | 6,630 |
| 7 | BACK PAIN | 5,430 |
| 8 | MYALGIA | 5,267 |
| 9 | DRUG DOSE OMISSION | 4,929 |
| 10 | INJECTION SITE BRUISING | 4,556 |
| 11 | DEVICE USE ERROR | 4,051 |
| 12 | ARTHRALGIA | 3,922 |
| 13 | FATIGUE | 3,872 |
| 14 | INJECTION SITE HAEMORRHAGE | 3,829 |
| 16 | RHINORRHOEA | 3,535 |
| 17 | PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 3,373 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Serious allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue (angioedema), have happened with Repatha. If you have any signs of a serious allergic reaction, stop using Repatha and get medical help right away. Some Repatha pens and syringes have latex in the needle cover. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to latex.
Common Questions
What if I have an allergic reaction to Repatha?
Can I use Repatha if I'm pregnant?
How often will I need to get Repatha injections?
Where should I inject Repatha?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
How should I store Repatha?
Can Repatha cure my high cholesterol?
Will Repatha cause any side effects?
Is Repatha safe for children?
What if I am allergic to latex?
What are the common side effects of evolocumab?
What drug class is evolocumab?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for evolocumab?
Related Medications in PCSK9 Inhibitor
Other drugs grouped near evolocumab - same-class peers and common alternatives.
alirocumab
Praluent
Praluent is a medicine that can lower cholesterol.
Compare with evolocumab →
atorvastatin
Lipitor
Atorvastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke.
Compare with evolocumab →
bempedoic acid
Nexletol
Compare with evolocumab →
bempedoic acid/ezetimibe
Nexlizet
Nexlizet is a combination medicine that helps lower cholesterol.
Compare with evolocumab →
cholestyramine
Questran
Cholestyramine is a medicine that helps lower high cholesterol levels in your blood.
Compare with evolocumab →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for evolocumab: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 155,068.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 1.19%.
- ertugliflozin Δ 0.04 pts · 1,037 reports · SGLT2 Inhibitor 1.16%death share
- varenicline Δ 0.07 pts · 5,766 reports · Nicotinic Receptor Partial Agonist 1.13%death share
- guselkumab Δ 0.10 pts · 31,164 reports · Anti-IL-23 Monoclonal Antibody 1.30%death share
- abaloparatide Δ 0.11 pts · 24,667 reports · PTHrP Analog 1.08%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on evolocumab
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What the FDA Data Shows for evolocumab
The FDA label for evolocumab (sold under brand names such as Repatha) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the PCSK9 Inhibitor class. Repatha helps lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in adults and children aged 10 and older. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Common cold, Upper respiratory infection, Flu.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 155,068 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 22, 2026
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages