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Pharmaceutical Sales of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fish Oil Tops $1 Billion!
2010 Nutrition Science Story #2
The second top nutrition science story for 2010 sounds a little “fishy,” but it is absolutely true.
This past year, the sales of the world’s first prescription omega-3 fatty acid product were estimated to reach $1 billion in global sales! That’s right, a few years back the FDA approved Lovaza®, an omega-3 fatty acid supplement made from fish oil, as a drug to treat individuals with “very high triglycerides,” and in 2010 it’s believed that more than $1 billion was spent on this product, including nearly $600 million in the US alone!
The story of how a natural fish oil product somehow came to be classified as a pharmaceutical drug is amazing enough, but to think that the marketing might of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline could turn it into a billion dollar product is astounding.
How did they do it? Well if you know anything about prescription drug prices, then you know they did it by charging five times as much for a fish oil capsule as you would pay in a health food store. It’s true. While a bottle of a high quality fish oil supplement with a comparable amount of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA found in Lovaza might cost you $30.00 from a reputable supplement company, GlaxoSmithKline has found a way to charge consumers and insurance companies $150 for essentially
the exact same thing!
And of course, all of this is looked on favorably by pharmaceutical companies and the FDA. From their perspective, fish oil is now a drug and now they can charge inflated drug prices.
Of course, you really can’t blame them. The studies on the disease preventive properties of omega-3 fatty acids are impressive. In fact, if everyone in the US started taking fish oil supplements everyday, sales of many of the other drugs the big drug companies sell would probably plummet.
For example, the pharmaceutical companies sell billions of dollars worth of all manner of cardiovascular medicine, and widespread use of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils would certainly reduce their profits. Therefore, a product like Lovaza is just the drug company’s way of making sure they get their cut. The heart health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids have been known for quite some time, but the difference now is medical researchers are actually starting to recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements.
Let’s look at some of the research to better understand why Big Pharma felt so threatened by omega-3 fatty acid fish oil supplements that they felt the need to get the FDA to classify their version a drug.
Omega-3 heart health studies
A study published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of American College of Cardiology recommends consumption of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fatty acids should be at least 500 mg/day for individuals without overt cardiovascular disease, and at least 800 to 1,000 mg/day for individuals with known coronary heart disease and heart failure history.1
Another study published in the January 2010 issue of Curr Atherosclerosis Rep had this to say about omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil supplements:
“In the past several years, there is mounting clinical trial data as well as basic science information supporting the use of fish oil supplements in both primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. In addition, there appear to be additional benefits to the use of fish oil, including lowering significantly elevated triglyceride levels, preventing atrial fibrillation, reducing mortality rates in congestive heart failure patients, and perhaps stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques.”2
And still another study, this one from the August 2010 issue of Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine points out the safety of omega-3s stating: “To date, no serious adverse effects of omega-3s have been identified, despite extensive study.”3
And of course, fish oil supplements have health benefits beyond the heart. The latest research on the omega-3 fatty acid DHA points to profound protection against age-related dementia diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Omega-3s memory protection properties
For starters, a study published in May 2009 by researchers from Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands and the Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Pisa University Medical School, Pisa, Italy, found that low blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA have been related to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Laboratory animals with dietary DHA depletion showed learning and memory deficits. These deficits were reversed by DHA supplementation, which the scientists attribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of DHA.4
Another study published in the May 2010 edition of Current Alzheimer Research also noted DHA supplementation restores brain DHA levels, enhances learning and memory tasks in aged animals, and significantly reduces beta amyloid plaques and tau protein buildups (both suspects in the development of Alzheimer’s disease).
This study also reviewed recent clinical studies that have demonstrated omega-3 supplementation shows positive effects in mild cognitive impairment but not in Alzheimer’s disease itself. This suggests that the sooner one starts taking omega-3 supplements the better their chance of avoiding Alzheimer’s.5
And finally, a study published by the Department of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, looked at the various ways DHA supplementation helped to prevent age-related cognitive decline and dementia. This study also noted that DHA limits the production and accumulation of the beta amyloid toxins and tau proteins, but it also pointed out that DHA suppresses neurofibrillary tangles, which many scientists believe may be another probable cause of Alzheimer’s disease. This study also noted that there are human clinical trials underway to determine if DHA supplementation can prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. The authors noted that the results to-date suggest that DHA may be more effective if it is begun early or used in conjunction with antioxidants.6
Clearly, fish oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in human health and disease prevention. Research now suggests that the sooner you begin a supplementation program utilizing both DHA and EPA, the better chance you have to avoid cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and age-related cognitive decline.
But you don’t need a prescription from your doctor for Lovaza to enjoy these health benefits. And you certainly don’t need to contribute your hard earned money to their $1 billion annual sales total. As stated at the beginning, there is something fishy about Big Pharma’s involvement in the fish oil supplementation market and it smells a lot like money.
EDITORS NOTE: I’m very pleased to share with you this special series of articles that looks back at the top 5 nutrition science stories of 2010.
My team and I looked at the top nutrition science breakthroughs as well as industry trends in determining the top 5 stories of 2010.
The number one story, Dr. Bruce Ames work with vitamin K and his triage theory, is truly a breakthrough that will benefit the health and wellness for generations to come. Other stories, like pharmaceutical sales of omega-3 fatty acids and new DHEA delivery systems are industry trends that may or may not have staying power.
Please do take the time to read all the top 5 articles with convenient links below. I think you will find them as informative and fascinating as we did.
To your health,
John Morgenthaler
Editor's Note:
The natural health solutions described in this article are available through many on-line retailers including those listed below. By clicking these links you help support the important alternative health research we provide.
Visit www.amazon.com – a great way to find competitive deals on supplements offered by many different manufacturers.
Visit www.hfn-usa.com – when commitment to quality and freshness is important, this factory direct solution is preferred by many of our readers.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a physician before embarking on a dietary supplement program.