A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Ethyl-Ester Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Taiwanese Hypertriglyceridemic Patients

Aim: Information regarding the effects of omega-3 fatty acid on hypertriglyceridemic patients in Chinese is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Omacor(®), a prescription ethyl-ester omega-3 fatty acid for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, administered at doses of 2 g/day and 4 g/day to Taiwanese hypertriglyceridemic patients. Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study in adults with hypertriglyceridemia was conducted. After a five-week diet lead in period patients with triglycerides = 200–1000 mg/dL were randomized to receive Omacor(®), a concentrated preparation of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a dose of 1 g twice daily (2 g Omacor (®)), 2 g twice daily (4 g Omacor(®)) or placebo, for eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the percentage change in triglyceride serum levels from baseline to the end of treatment. Results: A total of 253 Taiwanese patients were randomized, of which 65.6% (166) were men. At the end of the treatment, the percentage change in triglyceride serum levels in both the Omacor(®) 4 g/day (−32.1%) and 2 g/day (−29.7%) groups was larger than in the placebo group (−5.4%) (p < 0.001). The incidence of drug-related adverse events was as follows: 0.0%, 1.2%, and 0.0% in Omacor (®) 4 g/day, Omacor(®) 2 g/day, and placebo groups, respectively. No drug-related serious adverse events were reported during the study. Conclusions: Omacor(®) may be a feasible option to treat hypertriglyceridemia in Taiwanese patients.