Deepak Bhatt, MD: Time to Benefit with Icosapent Ethyl in REDUCE-IT REVASC

A new analysis of REDUCE-IT REVASC is shedding further light on the effects of icosapent ethyl (Vascepa) on patients with elevated triglyceride levels.

Presented at American Society for Preventive Cardiology 2020 Virtual Summit on CVD Prevention, results of the latest REDUCE-IT analysis suggest the benefit of icosapent ethyl on reducing the risk of revascularization was statistically significant as early as 11 months after initiating therapy.

“The additional data presented showing very early timing of benefit and consistent statistically significant substantial benefit as early as 11 months, coupled with the interim EVAPORATE analysis showing early changes in most plaque measurements at 9 months, allow for advancing insight into the connectivity between the mechanism of action and clinical outcomes of icosapent ethyl,” said REDUCE-IT and REDUCE-IT REVASC principal investigator Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH, executive director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, in a statement from Amarin Corporation.

Regarded as one of the most impactful trials in recent memory, REDUCE-IT demonstrated the ability of icosapent ethyl to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Overall, patients in the trial experienced a 25% risk reduction in cardiovascular events and a 20% reduction in death due to cardiovascular causes.

Presented at SCAI 2020, REDUCE-IT REVASC took a deeper dive into the effects of the pure EPA omega-3 fatty acid agent on different types of revascularization events in the REDUCE-IT population. Results of REDUCE-IT REVASC indicated use was associated with a 34% reduction in risk of first coronary revascularization event (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.58-0.76; P <.0001), a 35% risk reduction for emergent or urgent revascularization (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.55-0.78; P <.0001), a 38% risk reduction for emergent revascularization (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42-0.92; P=.016), a 34% risk reduction for urgent revascularization (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.79; P <.0001), and a 32% risk reduction for elective revascularization (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.57-0.82; P <.0001).

The latest analysis from ASPC 2020, revealed even more about the effects of icosapent ethyl on revascularization. Results of the analysis indicated benefit of icosapent ethyl on revascularization reached statistical significance as early as 11 months. Investigators noted the latest analysis also suggested the reduction in revascularization was consistent across urgent, emergent, and elective revascularization as well as for percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting as individual end points.

For more on the latest REDUCE-IT analysis, Practical Cardiology reached out to Bhatt to take part in an interview further exploring the results of the analysis.

This study, “Revascularization in Patients With Hypertriglyceridemia With Icosapent Ethyl: Insights From REDUCE-IT REVASC,” was presented at ASPC 2020.