Dublin, Ireland & Bridgewater, N.J. – August 28, 2026
Amarin Corporation announced new post hoc findings from the landmark REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes trial, presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026, evaluating the relationship between treatment adherence and the durability of cardiovascular benefit associated with icosapent ethyl (IPE). Among 6,921 participants who remained on study drug for at least 1.5 years, IPE was associated with an approximately 29–30% relative risk reduction in the primary cardiovascular endpoint, compared with the 25% reduction observed in the overall intention-to-treat population of 8,179 participants. In a separate analysis of 1,318 secondary prevention patients who discontinued treatment after a mean of 2.3 years, the hazard ratio remained 0.73 during subsequent follow-up, with no apparent diminution of benefit over approximately one to four years after discontinuation. For cGxP.wire, the key development is the exploratory evidence suggesting that sustained IPE exposure may provide greater cardiovascular benefit and that some treatment-associated protection could persist after therapy is stopped. However, the findings are post hoc and exploratory and should not be interpreted as proof that patients can safely discontinue treatment.
REDUCE-IT Analysis Links Higher Adherence to Greater Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
The new analysis examined treatment adherence among patients enrolled in REDUCE-IT, a cardiovascular outcomes trial involving statin-treated patients with elevated triglycerides and high cardiovascular risk. In the overall intention-to-treat population, IPE produced a 25% relative reduction in the primary composite endpoint, which included nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, cardiovascular death, coronary revascularization and unstable angina. Among the 6,921 high-adherence participants who remained on study medication for at least 1.5 years, the relative risk reduction increased to approximately 29–30%. Similar findings were observed in the secondary prevention population. The results suggest that maintaining treatment exposure may allow patients to realize a larger portion of the cardiovascular benefit associated with IPE. However, because this was a post hoc analysis, differences between patients who remained adherent and those who did not may contribute to the observed effect, meaning the analysis does not establish that adherence itself caused the additional risk reduction.
Icosapent Ethyl Shows Potential Persistent Benefit After Treatment Discontinuation
The analysis also explored whether cardiovascular protection associated with IPE could persist after patients stopped treatment. Among 1,318 secondary prevention participants who had received study drug for at least three months before discontinuation, patients had remained on treatment for a mean of 2.3 years. Following discontinuation, the hazard ratio for cardiovascular events was 0.73, matching the hazard ratio observed across the broader follow-up period. Investigators reported that Kaplan-Meier event curves remained separated after treatment cessation, with no apparent reduction in the treatment-associated difference over the subsequent one to four years of follow-up. Participants were off study drug for a mean of approximately 2.1 years. This pattern is consistent with a potential “legacy effect,” in which benefits generated during active treatment may continue after therapy ends. Nevertheless, this interpretation remains hypothesis-generating because treatment discontinuation was not necessarily randomized, and the analysis was not designed prospectively to prove a post-treatment biological effect.
Advertisement
Amarin Highlights Long-Term Implications for Cardiovascular Prevention
The findings add another layer to the extensive clinical evidence surrounding icosapent ethyl, a purified form of eicosapentaenoic acid evaluated in high-risk cardiovascular patients with elevated triglycerides. The approximately 30% relative risk reduction among highly adherent participants reinforces the potential importance of maintaining treatment over time, while the post-discontinuation findings raise the possibility that cardiovascular benefits may persist beyond active exposure. Amarin characterized the results as exploratory and emphasized that they provide additional insight into the durability of the REDUCE-IT treatment effect. The company is using the analysis to support continued understanding of IPE in secondary cardiovascular prevention. Importantly, the data do not establish that IPE should be discontinued after a specific treatment duration or that patients can expect continued protection after stopping therapy. Prospective studies would be required to definitively demonstrate a treatment legacy effect.
Source: Amarin, press relese
