Perspectives on a new prescription omega-3 fatty acid, icosapent ethyl, for hypertriglyceridemia

Icosapent ethyl (IPE) is a prescription omega-3 fatty acid drug that significantly decreases triglycerides (TG) and has other beneficial lipid effects, including lowering non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, without raising low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with very high TG levels (MARINE trial) and in statin-treated patients with persistently high TG levels (ANCHOR trial). The safety and efficacy profile of IPE supports its use in patients with TG = 500 mg/dl and provides support for potential use in patients with high TG on statin therapy. A large ongoing outcomes trial (REDUCE-IT) will assess the efficacy of IPE in preventing cardiovascular events in high-risk, statin-treated patients with hypertriglyceridemia. As such, IPE may offer benefits over other dyslipidemia treatment options.