Thursday, May 9, 2013

Investopedia: Another Negative Fish Oil Study Adds To Amarin's Marketing Challenges

Nothing has come easy for Amarin (Nasdaq: AMRN).

This manufacturer of the ultra-pure fish oil (EPA in particular) treatment Vascepa has garnered a devoted following of investors who believe that this is not just the next Lovaza (the purified fish oil treatment that Glaxo (NYSE:GSK) acquired in 2007 for $1.7 billion by buying Reliant Pharmaceuticals), but even more. Unfortunately for the bulls, Amarin has not yet garnered the new chemical entity (NCE) status from the FDA that would better shield it from competition, and interest in partnering or acquiring the company has been lackluster enough that the company has gone forward with its own marketing program.

Perhaps even worse, though, is the accumulation of data suggesting that fish oil may not be effective in reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. On Wednesday, the New England Journal of Medicine reported results from the largest done to date on the efficacy of fish oil, and the results were not positive. The real questions for Amarin investors now are whether this trial is relevant to Vascepa and/or what impact it will have on real-world doctors.

Please click below to continue:
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/050913/another-negative-fish-oil-study-adds-amarins-marketing-challenges-amrn-gsk-omth-lpdx-sny.aspx

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