BEDMINSTER, N.J. and DUBLIN, Ireland, June 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN), a pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of therapeutics to improve cardiovascular health, announced today that John F. Thero, president and chief executive officer of Amarin, has been named EY’s Entrepreneur of The Year 2019 Award for Life Sciences in the New Jersey Region. The global business leader awards program, which was founded in 1986, recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

“I am pleased that Amarin’s significant progress and innovative work is recognized by this award and thank the judges and our employees for this honor,” commented Mr. Thero. “This award reflects the high quality of Amarin’s employees and is a testament to our company’s accomplishments in addressing the enormous public health issue of cardiovascular disease. We are privileged to have significant operations in New Jersey, a state with high-caliber talent and resources.”

Thero was presented with this award last evening following his selection by a panel of independent judges consisting of prior award winners, and civic and community leaders not affiliated with EY.

Becoming chief executive officer in 2014, Thero led the transformation of Amarin from a company with its survival in question to a company with robust compounded commercial business growth and game-changing scientific achievement. For example, in late 2018, Amarin completed the REDUCE-IT™ cardiovascular outcomes study, which many leading physicians have characterized as one of the most significant breakthroughs in decades for preventative cardiovascular care. Thero credits Amarin’s success to its highly engaged, diverse team of employees and believes that Amarin is just getting started on a path to improve care for millions of people.

About Amarin

Amarin Corporation plc. is a rapidly growing, innovative pharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics to improve cardiovascular health. Amarin’s product development program leverages its extensive experience in polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipid science. Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) is Amarin's first FDA-approved drug and is available by prescription in the United States, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. Amarin’s commercial partners are pursuing additional regulatory approvals for Vascepa in Canada, China and the Middle East. For more information about Amarin, visit www.amarincorp.com.

About REDUCE-IT™

REDUCE-IT¹, an 8,179-patient cardiovascular outcomes study, was completed in 2018. REDUCE-IT was the first multinational cardiovascular outcomes study that evaluated the effect of prescription pure EPA therapy as an add-on to statins in patients with high cardiovascular risk who, despite stable statin therapy, had elevated triglyceride levels (at least 135 mg/dL). A large portion of the male and female patients enrolled in this outcomes study were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

More information on the REDUCE-IT study results can be found at www.amarincorp.com.

About Cardiovascular Disease

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the #1 killer of men and women. In the United States CVD leads to one in every three deaths – one death approximately every 38 seconds – with annual treatment cost in excess of $500 billion.^2,3

Multiple primary and secondary prevention trials have shown a significant reduction of 25% to 35% in the risk of cardiovascular events with statin therapy, leaving significant persistent residual risk despite the achievement of target LDL-C levels.⁴

Beyond the cardiovascular risk associated with LDL-C, genetic, epidemiologic, clinical and real-world data suggest that patients with elevated triglycerides (TG) (fats in the blood), and TG-rich lipoproteins, are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. ^5-8

About Vascepa® (icosapent ethyl) Capsules

Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) capsules are a single-molecule prescription product consisting of the omega-3 acid commonly known as EPA in ethyl-ester form. Vascepa is not fish oil, but is derived from fish through a stringent and complex FDA-regulated manufacturing process designed to effectively eliminate impurities and isolate and protect the single molecule active ingredient from degradation. Vascepa, known in scientific literature as AMR101, has been designated a new chemical entity by the FDA. Amarin has been issued multiple patents internationally based on the unique clinical profile of Vascepa, including the drug’s ability to lower triglyceride levels in relevant patient populations without raising LDL-cholesterol levels.