NICE Recommends Vazkepa and Evrenzo

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended National Health Service (NHS) use of Amarin’s Vazkepa (icosapent ethyl) for the reduction of heart attacks or strokes in adults who have controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and are taking a statin but have raised levels of triglycerides.

The endorsement for Vazkepa was based on clinical trial data that showed the oral drug reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by more than 25 percent compared with placebo.

NICE also recommended Astellas Pharma and FibroGen’s oral drug Evrenzo (roxadustat) for treatment of adult patients with symptomatic anemia associated with chronic kidney disease who are at stages 3 to 5 with no iron deficiency and aren’t on dialysis at the start of treatment.

The negotiated NHS price for Vazkepa is $179 for a 30-day supply. The negotiated price for Evrenzo was not disclosed.