An Investigation on the Effects of Icosapent Ethyl
on Inflammatory Biomarkers in Individuals with COVID-19
The VASCEPA-COVID-19 CardioLink-9 Trial

VASCEPA-COVID-19 CardioLink-9 was conceived and completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Icosapent ethyl (IPE) is a highly purified form of eicosapentaenoic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) that may be prescribed to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in statin-treated individuals with elevated triglycerides who are at high risk of cardiovascular events. Since atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries due to plaque build up) is believed to be an inflammatory condition and omega-3 fatty acids have been reported to increase survival rate and improve kidney function, this trial was borne out of the theory that IPE may be able to reduce inflammation and improve symptoms in patients with COVID-19. VASCEPA-COVID-19 revealed that IPE significantly lowered the levels of the pro-inflammatory blood marker hs-CRP suggesting that IPE does have anti-inflammatory effects that may account for some of the cardiovascular benefits reported. The primary data of VASCEPA-COVID-19 were presented at the 2020 National Lipid Association Virtual Scientific Sessions and published in iScience (Kosmopoulos et al. 2021)