Fatty Acid Treatment with Pure Omega-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: Differences between Branded (EPADEL®) and Generic Products ()
ABSTRACT
Background: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have some protective benefits
for patients with coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) drugs are prescribed as branded (B: EPADEL?)
or generic products but no data exist concerning the differences in treatment
outcomes between these products. Methods and Results: We investigated
the differences in the serum levels of EPA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
arachidonic acid (AA), and the EPA/AA ratios through blood sampling six months
after daily administration of 1800 mg of EPADEL? and a generic EPA
drug was initiated for 96 patients with cardiovascular diseases. All patients
received these PUFA treatments while continuing with baseline therapy. After 6
months of administration, EPADEL? produced better results than the
generic (G) product (EPA; baseline: 59.4 ± 25.5 μg, B: 215.5 ± 58.8 μg,
G: 199.7 ± 63.8 μg, B vs G, p
< 0.0005; AA; baseline: 197.4 ± 44.6 μg,
B: 158.3 ± 36.3 μg, G: 163.6 ±
38.9 μg, B vs G, p < 0.02,
as mean ± SD). Conclusions: There were clear differences between EPA branded and the generic
products. Further study is required to determine whether the benefits from the
branded product justify the higher price compared to the generic drug cost.
Share and Cite:
Suwa, M. , Morii, I. and Kino, M. (2020) Fatty Acid Treatment with Pure Omega-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: Differences between Branded (EPADEL®) and Generic Products.
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
11, 887-898. doi:
10.4236/fns.2020.1110062.