ANS evaluates including high-cost medication to prevent new heart attacks and strokes

Public consultation open until April 28 discusses mandatory coverage of therapy that reduces "bad" cholesterol in high-risk patients

A National Supplementary Health Agency has opened a public consultation that could expand access to a treatment considered innovative in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The proposal analyzes the inclusion of Anti-PCSK9 therapy in the List of Health Procedures and Events, which would oblige health plans to offer the drug to eligible patients.

The measure is aimed at adults who have already suffered serious events, such as heart attack or stroke, and are at high risk of recurrence. Scientific data indicates that around 1 in 5 patients may face a new cardiovascular episode in the first year after the initial event, which reinforces the need for more effective prevention strategies.

The drug, developed by Amgen and marketed in Brazil by Biolab Farmacêutica, works to reduce LDL, known as “bad cholesterol”. This type of fat is directly linked to the formation of plaques in the arteries, a process called atherosclerosis, which can trigger heart attacks and strokes.

Indicated mainly for patients who are unable to control the cholesterol with conventional drugs, the therapy is considered high-tech and has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and serious complications.

A public consultation The process is open until April 28 and allows health professionals, patients and society in general to submit contributions through the official ANS portal. The process is part of a social participation mechanism that helps inform decisions on the incorporation of new technologies into the supplementary health system.

1 - Go to portal of ANS 7. Please note: you need to be registered on the portal gov.br
2 - Go to the side menu and click on: “ACCESS TO INFORMATION” > “SOCIAL PARTICIPATION” > “PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS”.
3 - Find the public consultation you want: Search for the public consultation you are interested in in the Current Public Consultations section - this is identified by the public consultation number (INCLUDE PUBLIC CONSULTATION NUMBER) and the title - and click on “PARTICIPATE”.
4 - Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “CONTRIBUTE“.
5 - Fill in the form: You identify yourself as a health professional, patient or family, and can attach studies or simply their position on the proposal.
6 - To finish, click on “Send contribution”.
The form provided by ANS is simple to fill in - you identify yourself as a health professional, patient or family member, and you can attach studies, share clinical data or simply your position on the proposal. Finally, click on “send contributions”.

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