Scottish Medicines Consortium Accepts VAZKEPA to Help Reduce Cardiovascular Risks

Amarin Corporation plc announces that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted VAZKEPA (icosapent ethyl) for reimbursement with a Patient Access Scheme* for secondary prevention in patients treated with a stable dose of statins, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels >1.04mmol/L and ≤2.60mmol/L, raised fasting triglycerides (≥1.7mmol/L) and with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) defined as a history of any of the following: acute coronary syndrome (ACS) such as myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina needing hospitalisation; coronary or other arterial revascularisation procedures; coronary heart disease; ischaemic stroke; or peripheral arterial disease.

“The acceptance of icosapent ethyl, an innovative active substance comprising a highly purified omega-3 fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid greater or equal to 96%), will provide healthcare professionals in Scotland with an additional treatment option to be considered for eligible patients who are at high risk of a subsequent CV event, such as a second heart attack or stroke. This represents an important step forward in the fight against CVD in Scotland,” said Professor Adrian Brady, Consultant Cardiologist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

CVD is a significant issue for patients and HCPs in Scotland. While current therapies can help to reduce the risk of a first or recurrent major cardiovascular event, there are still at least 10,000 hospital admissions for heart attacks each year, which equates to 1 every 50 minutes, with heart and circulatory diseases causing nearly 18,000 (28%) deaths annually in Scotland. What’s more, CVD costs NHS Scotland around £800 million each year, with a wider estimated cost to the economy of £1.8 billion.

“The SMC’s acceptance and reimbursement of VAZKEPA is an important development for patients at high cardiovascular risk in Scotland, who will now have access to an innovative treatment option to improve their outcomes. Our UK team will now be focused on working with health boards to secure formulary inclusion and make VAZKEPA available to these patients as quickly as possible,” said Patrick Holt, President and CEO of Amarin. 

Amarin is working with Health Boards across Scotland to secure formulary inclusion and ensure that as many patients as possible among the eligible population will have access to VAZKEPA by the end of 2023. This comes alongside the news that agreements have also been struck across South-East Asia, South Korea, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands.