Amarin, which makes a new form of fish oil called Vascepa, could have marketing difficulties because doctors will draw comparisons between the niacin story and that for fish oil medicines, which showed benefit in early, open-label studies but have failed in more recent rigorous ones.

FORBES: Merck Niacin Drug Failure Could Have Broad Repercussions

It reduced its 40 species of fish to 5, concentrating on abundant species with a big market draw.

FORBES: Magazine Article