Sometimes good ideas are just there staring scientists in the face. A great deal of energy has been spent finding drugs that can lower cholesterol and triglycerides and counteract the coronary side-effects of the typical American lifestyle. All the while, part of the answer may have just been swimming around our oceans.
Data released by Amarin (Nasdaq:AMRN) on Monday morning indicates strong triglyceride-lowering potential for its purified EPA omega-3 pill, and a potential blockbuster for this small company.
Strong Data Should Drive Approval
Amarin's results in a Phase 3 study of AMR101 were quite good. The study showed that a daily dose of four or two grams reduced triglyceride levels by 21.5% and 10.1%, respectively. Arguably even more important, though, was that the data showed no meaningful increase in LDL levels (the so-called "bad cholesterol"). (For more, see Measuring The Medicine Makers.)
Here's why that matters: GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) has done quite well with its Lovaza pill, a mixture of DHA and EPA ethyl ester omega-3 that also lowers triglyceride levels. While Lovaza is quite efficacious in lowering triglycerides (and maybe better than AMR101), it does lead to higher LDL levels. That combination is worrisome for some patients, and could give AMR101 a real shot at blockbuster status. (For more, see Pharmaceutical Phenoms: America's Best-Selling Medicines.)
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