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Icosapent Ethyl: A Review of Its Use in Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

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Abstract

Icosapent ethyl (Vascepa®) is a high-purity ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that is de-esterified to EPA following oral administration. Both EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that have been associated with triglyceride (TG)-lowering. However, DHA has been associated with increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Icosapent ethyl contains ≥96 % of the EPA ethyl ester, does not contain DHA, and is approved in the USA for use as an adjunct to diet to lower TG levels in adult patients with severe (≥500 mg/dL [≥5.65 mmol/L]) hypertriglyceridemia. In a pivotal phase III trial, oral icosapent ethyl 4 g/day significantly decreased the placebo-corrected median TG levels by 33.1 %. It did not increase LDL-C, had favorable effects on other lipid parameters, and had a tolerability profile similar to that of placebo. Therefore, icosapent ethyl is an effective and well-tolerated agent for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia in adults.

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Disclosure

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the authors on the basis of scientific and editorial merit. Esther S. Kim and Paul L. McCormack are salaried employees of Adis/Springer.

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    Esther S. Kim & Paul L. McCormack

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  1. Esther S. Kim
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Correspondence to Esther S. Kim.

Additional information

The manuscript was reviewed by: J. C. Bradberry, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA; D. C. F. Chan, Medicine and Pharmacology RPH Unit, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia; A. Sethi, Department of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Sciences, North Chicago, IL, USA.

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Kim, E.S., McCormack, P.L. Icosapent Ethyl: A Review of Its Use in Severe Hypertriglyceridemia. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 14, 471–478 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40256-014-0099-7

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