Amarin Corporation plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMRN) announced the presentation of a poster at the annual meeting of the National Lipid Association (NLA) further characterizing the efficacy and safety of Vascepa® (icosapent ethyl) in women with very high triglyceride levels.
The poster (#164), titled “Icosapent Ethyl (Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester) in Women With Very High Triglyceride Levels: Results From the MARINE Study,” was presented on May 20, 2016. Researchers observed that compared to placebo, Vascepa administered at 4 g/day significantly reduced triglyceride (TG), non-HDL-C, and total cholesterol (TC) levels without increasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in women with very high TG levels (≥500 and ≤2000 mg/dL). The analysis was led by Lori Mosca, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor of Medicine Emerita and Center Director of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Research Network at Columbia University Medical Center, New York.
“It is important to generate data that address the specific needs of women, especially in fields where the data could prove useful to patient care,” said Dr. Mosca. “The findings presented today, although taken from a small study sample population of women, are encouraging because the efficacy and safety of Vascepa 4 g/day were consistent with the overall MARINE results, which included 229 patients. It is vitally important to evaluate both potential benefits and side effects of therapies in women and not assume results from men are similar in women.”
The clinical implications of lowering triglycerides with Vascepa 4 g/day are being investigated in the REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes study of statin-treated women and men with persistent elevated TG levels. (Original Source)
Shares of Amarin are currently trading at $1.73, up $0.05 or 2.98%. AMRN has a 1-year high of $2.80 and a 1-year low of $1.24. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $1.72 and its 200-day moving average is $1.69.
On the ratings front, Amarin has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. In a report issued on May 12, Jefferies Co. analyst Hugo Ong initiated coverage with a Buy rating on AMRN and a price target of $3.50, which implies an upside of 107.1% from current levels. Separately, on May 6, H.C. Wainwright’s Andrew Fein reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and has a price target of $10.
According to TipRanks.com, which ranks over 7,500 financial analysts and bloggers to gauge the performance of their past recommendations, Hugo Ong and Andrew Fein have a total average return of -9.5% and 3.6% respectively. Ong has a success rate of 11.1% and is ranked #3185 out of 3842 analysts, while Fein has a success rate of 43.2% and is ranked #787.
Amarin Corp. Plc is a biopharmaceutical company, which engages in the commercialization and development of therapeutics to improve cardiovascular health. Its product, Vascepa capsules, is use as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
