AstraZeneca (AZN) said Monday that it would stop a large clinical study of a fish-oil-derived heart drug, Epanova, after an independent committee concluded it was “unlikely to demonstrate a benefit to patients.”
The news removes the most likely competitor for Vascepa, the first heart drug derived from fish oil to be approved to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and hospitalizations due to heart problems in patients with high levels of triglycerides. Vascepa is the only product sold by Amarin Pharmaceuticals (AMRN), which has said it expects sales of more than $650 million next year, a 50% annual increase.
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