Prescription omega-3 fatty acid products containing highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Table 1 Prescription EPA Products [34, 35]

	Epadel	Vascepa
Year approved	1988	2012
Country	Japan	USA
Generic name	Ethyl icosapentate; icosapent	Icosapent ethyl
Structure
Molecular formula	C₂₂H₃₄O₂	C₂₂H₃₄O₂
Molecular weight	330.50	330.51
Indications	Hyperlipidemia; improvement of ulcer, pain and cold feeling associated with arteriosclerosis obliterans	Adjunct to diet to reduce TG levels in adults with severe (≥500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia
Formulation	300-mg, 600-mg, or 900-mg capsules	500-mg or 1000-mg capsules
Dosage and administration	1.8 g/day^a (twice daily after meals)	4 g/day (twice daily with food)

^aRecommended dosage for treatment of hyperlipidemia; dose may be increased to 1 capsule three times per day if TG levels are abnormal. EPA eicosapentaenoic acid, TG, triglyceride

ISSN: 1476-511X