Sanofi stops supply of high cholesterol drug to China due to limited availability

SHANGHAI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Sanofi SASY.PA said on Tuesday it had stopped supplying Praluent, a popular cholesterol drug jointly developed by the French pharmaceuticals firm and its partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, in China due to limited availability.

"The surge in demand has led to limited availability in China, and some other countries," Sanofi said in a statement sent to Reuters, adding "at the moment Praluent's supply in China has already stopped."

It didn't say when supply would resume.

Sanofi said it had "invested to strengthen global production of Praluent, to meet a rising global demand which accelerated sharply over the past two years".

The company said clinical experts had found there were other medicines on China's National Reimbursement Drug List that were "safe and appropriate" for patients currently being treated with Praluent and it was working with healthcare providers in China to "ensure a smooth transition for patients".

Sanofi is the latest foreign drugmaker to stop supplying popular medications to China. Merck MRK.N suspended shipments of its blockbuster human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil to the country in February, citing weak discretionary spending.