HLS Therapeutics (TSX:HLS) reported that its cardiovascular drug, Vascepa, will be available in Canada on or about February 18, 2020.
Vascepa was approved by Health Canada at the end of 2019. HLS noted that the approval makes Vascepa the first and only drug in Canada indicated to reduce persistent residual cardiovascular risk in statin-treated patients with elevated triglycerides and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
The approval was based on the REDUCE-IT trial, which assessed cardiovascular outcomes in more than 8,000 patients. The trial demonstrated that Vascepa reduced the risk of a first occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event by 25% compared with placebo.
“There is no doubt that cardiovascular disease is an urgent and growing public health issue, with more than half of Canadian adults impacted by the disease in ways that can be tragic and costly,” Greg Gubitz, HLS’ CEO, said in a statement.
“With its strong trial results and accessible pricing, we believe Vascepa can deliver significant long-term benefit for both Canadians and our health care system,” he added.
