It is the first treatment in its class to receive NICE approval for cardiovascular risk reduction
Vazkepa – also known as icosapent ethyl – has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use across the NHS in England and Wales to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The verdict applies to adult statin-treated patients placed at a high CV risk, who have elevated triglycerides and established cardiovascular disease.
It is the first treatment in this class to establish a recommendation by NICE for CV risk reduction. Icosapent ethyl is a new active substance, comprising a highly purified omega-3 fatty acid – eicosapentaenoic acid – and has the potential to benefit more than one million people in England at high risk.
Evidence from the pivotal double-blind, randomised REDUCE-IT phase 3 clinical trial demonstrated – among more than 8,000 patients over an average of 4.9 years – that treatment with icosapent ethyl compared to placebo resulted in a 25% relative reduction in the risk of future adverse CV events, such as a second heart attack.
Dr Derek Connolly, consultant interventional cardiologist at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, explained: “CVD ranks as one of the UK’s leading causes of death. Current therapies such as statins that reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels have achieved major successes in reducing deaths from CV events, but they are not a complete solution.
Amarin’s senior vice president and president for Europe, Laurent Abuaf, concluded: “Vazkepa offers an important scientific innovation for patients with CVD, and the results of the REDUCE-IT trial demonstrate the benefits of its use for optimising the outcomes of patients at high risk of CV events, on top of treatments for traditional risk factors.”
More than six million people currently live with CVD in England, costing the NHS around £7.4bn each year. While current therapies have helped to reduce the risk of future major CV events, more than 137,000 people continue to die from CVD every year.
Significant future risk also remains for patients, with one in three suffering a subsequent CV event within seven years of a first heart attack.
