Amarin highlights Vascepa cost advantage over new injectable rivals

Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) issued a statement positioning its oral triglyceride drug Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) against recently FDA-approved injectable apolipoprotein C-III therapies for severe hypertriglyceridemia, defined as triglyceride levels at or above 500 mg/dL.

The company cited a significant price difference between Vascepa and the new injectable treatments. According to Amarin, the annual wholesale acquisition cost of Vascepa is approximately $4,200 per patient, compared to $40,000 per patient for the most recently approved injectable APOC3 therapy.

Amarin said Vascepa has been prescribed more than 30 million times globally and claims it is the first and only FDA-approved therapy shown to reduce cardiovascular event risk by 25% when added to statin therapy in high-risk patients with elevated triglycerides. The company noted that clinical trial data showed a 33% median reduction in triglyceride levels in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia compared to placebo, with approximately 50% of patients reaching triglyceride levels below 500 mg/dL at 12 weeks.

Amarin also noted that the 2026 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association dyslipidemia guidelines reaffirmed the role of established triglyceride-lowering therapies, including icosapent ethyl. The company said more than 70 medical societies recognize icosapent ethyl based on clinical data.

CEO Aaron Berg said in a statement that payers, pharmacy benefit managers, and managed care organizations may apply prior authorization and step-therapy requirements to higher-cost injectable therapies, which could affect patient access.

Vascepa carries FDA approval for two indications: reducing triglyceride levels in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia, and reducing cardiovascular event risk as an adjunct to statin therapy in high-risk adults with elevated triglycerides. The drug is approved and sold in multiple markets including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and several European and Middle Eastern countries.

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