Hi gg
Re Improve It ....emailed my Kaiser Cardiologist about the Improve It results . His view was that the results weren't good enough for Kaiser to reverse their position and begin prescribing Zetia let alone providing insurance coverage for it.
With Vascepa ...if benefit is 15% or less . Expect the results to be immediately challenged on basis of placebo used . That somehow the paraffin oil used as placebo interfered with the Statins used ....so some will claim that at least 5% benefit of the Statin / V arm was because the Statin / paraffin oil benefit was suppressed .
Not making a judgement on that one way or another but expect it to come up .
There will also be the claim that you can get up to 15% benefit ..ie CV risk reduction simply by eliminating red or processed meats from your diet , add to that at least a 15% reduction from not smoking and a further 15% reduction by brisk walking or running an hr every day .....and so on
So from a health insurance pt of view ...with 15% benefit or less ...rather then immediately providing tier 2 coverage ( which is what we need for V to be affordable to a mass market ) ....there's not a lot of incentive for them to provide generous coverage until all others options are maximized.
Now if Interim Data shows a 25% benefit , and especially if we see anything like the benefits that JL speculates ...40-50% .....it will be a stop the press's kind of event
Then it will be ...even if you don't eliminate red and processed meats , exercise an hr a day etc ....we ( insurance co's ) can dramatically reduce your risk of ending up in an emergency rm with an MI ( and therefore reduce our payouts ) by putting you on Vascepa
Try looking at this from a business cost / benefit view . At what pt is it worth it for me to spend say $200 a month on Vascepa for you ( you pay the $40 copay ) to keep you out of ER
Doubt if 15% or less benefit will do it
Just my rainy Sunday afternoon rambling
Kiwi
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