Icosapent

Icosapent is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia.

• Icosapent is available under the following different brand names: Vascepa

Adult dosage

Capsule

• 0.5g
• 1g

Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

Adult dosage

• 2g orally every 12 hours with food

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

Common side effects of Icosapent include:

• joint pain, and
• sore throat

Serious side effects of Icosapent include:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing, and
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Rare side effects of Icosapent include:

• none 

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur as a result of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.

• Icosapent has severe interactions with no other drugs.
• Icosapent has serious interactions with no other drugs.
• Icosapent has moderate interactions with at least 25 other drugs.
• Icosapent has minor interactions with no other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your health care professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions, concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to drug or any of its components

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Icosapent?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Icosapent?”

Cautions

• Associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter requiring hospitalization compared with placebo (3% vs 2%)
• Contains ethyl esters of the omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), obtained from the oil of fish; unknown whether patients with allergies to fish and/or shellfish are at increased risk of an allergic reaction
• Use associated with increased risk of bleeding; incidence is greater if taking concomitant antithrombotic medications (e.g., aspirin, clopidogrel, or warfarin)

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Available data from published case reports and the pharmacovigilance database on the use in pregnant women are insufficient to identify a drug-associated risk for major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes
• Lactation
  • Published studies have detected omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA, in human milk
  • Lactating women receiving oral omega-3 fatty acids for supplementation have resulted in higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in human milk
  • There are no data on the effects of omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters on the breastfed infant or milk production
  • Consider developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding along with the mother’s clinical need for drugs and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from the drug or underlying maternal condition.