Vascepa is a prescription medication that contains the active ingredient icosapent ethyl, which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid. It is primarily used to lower triglyceride levels in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
A search on the Drug Patent Watch website [1] shows that the patent for Vascepa is set to expire in 2030. However, there are no recent studies on the medication's effectiveness or safety available on the website.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, called the REDUCE-IT trial, found that Vascepa reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with high triglyceride levels who were already taking statins [2]. However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020 has raised questions about the results of the REDUCE-IT trial [3]. The study suggests that the reduction in cardiovascular events seen in the REDUCE-IT trial may have been due to chance, and that further research is needed to confirm the benefits of Vascepa.
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology in 2015 found that Vascepa significantly reduced triglyceride levels and improved other lipid parameters in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia [4]. The study also found that Vascepa was generally well-tolerated and had a low risk of side effects.
In conclusion, while there are no recent studies on Vascepa available on the Drug Patent Watch website, the results of the REDUCE-IT trial have been called into question by a new study. However, a previous study has shown that Vascepa can effectively lower triglyceride levels and improve lipid parameters in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia. As with any medication, patients should discuss the potential benefits and risks of Vascepa with their healthcare provider.
Sources:
[1] https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/tradename/VASCEPA
[2] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1812792
[3] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2767326
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4671468/