Aegerion Pharmaceuticals has received FDA approval for their new cholesterol drug Juxtapid. The drug was designed specifically to lower cholesterol levels for those with a rare genetics condition known as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).
Those with HoFH are incapable of clearing cholesterol from the body by normal means, which can cause fatty buildups under the skin and severely increased heart attack risk. Thus far it is unclear how many people actually suffer from the condition, raising questions about the costly drug's marketability.
Nicholas Bishop, an analyst at Cowen & Co. attempted to quell investor fears in an official statement noting:
"To better understand lomitapide's addressable market size, we conducted a survey of 9 LDL- apheresis center physicians and 18 other lipidologists. Results suggest there may be 2,400 diagnosed functional HoFH patients in the U.S. (under a restrictive label scenario) or as many as 4,000+ patients (under a more liberal label). We believe sell-side expectations vary from 300-3,000 patients."
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.