Prescription Fish Oil Update

“This Fish-Oil Heart Drug Could Be Big, Could Be Huge.” That was the headline in a well-known financial report after a Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously voted in favor of an expanded use for the prescription fish-oil drug. I mentioned this was a possibility when I first talked about Vascepa in October. The FDA is expected to make a final decision by the end of the year.

What is the expanded use? The medication could be prescribed to those who have established heart disease or type 2 diabetes with another CVD risk factor and are already taking statin medications to lower cholesterol. The advisory panel approved the use because research showed that when combined with statins, it could reduce CVD endpoints such as death, heart attacks, and strokes by an additional 4.8% when compared to a placebo over a 4.9 year follow-up period, 17.2% versus 22%.

One more thing. The medication could be prescribed to those with triglycerides as low as 150 mg/dl. That would include millions more potential users in the U.S. and Canada alone. You can see why the headline was in the financial news; the potential profit for investors could be huge. A lot is riding on what the FDA decides. I’ll explain that on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Bloomberg Online. Max Nisen. Posted 11-15-2019.