FDA-filed SPL labeling · retrieved through openFDA

Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters

Omega-3-acid ethyl esters is a prescription omega-3 fatty acid used alongside diet to lower severely elevated triglycerides (fats in the blood) in adults.

Brand names LovazaOmega-3-Acid Ethyl Ester
Drug class Omega-3 Fatty Acid
Rx Forms 3 Route Oral
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 10, 2026
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand

The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 30 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →

At a glance
Linked label effectiveMar 9, 2026
Clinical labels in scope 30
AvailabilityRx
Earliest approval/marketing year 2004
FDA-listed product records 84
Boxed warningNone found in compared labels
How we combine label and product data →
No current FDA shortage listed · checked Sep 23, 2026 🚨Recall on record
Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
💊
HelloPharmacist Editorial Team Bottom Line
Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules, including Lovaza, are a prescription-strength treatment for adults with severely elevated triglyceride levels, used alongside — not instead of — a healthy diet. Common side effects are mild digestive complaints like burping and upset stomach, but people taking blood thinners or those with a history of irregular heartbeat should discuss extra precautions with their doctor. Follow your prescriber's guidance and get your triglyceride and LDL levels checked as directed.

📖 Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters: Patient Information Guide

A plain-language walkthrough of Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.

🎯What it's used for

Omega-3-acid ethyl esters is a prescription medication approved to reduce triglyceride levels in adults with severely elevated triglycerides — used alongside, not instead of, a triglyceride-lowering diet.

  • Lovaza (omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules) is indicated as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides of 500 mg/dL or higher).
  • Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules (generic) are indicated for the same use: reducing severely elevated triglyceride levels in adults, alongside dietary management.
  • This medication has not been shown to reduce the risk of pancreatitis or cardiovascular death and is not approved to treat atrial fibrillation or flutter.
⚙️How it works

Omega-3-acid ethyl esters contains EPA and DHA — two omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil. The exact way it lowers triglycerides isn't fully understood, but EPA and DHA appear to reduce triglyceride production in the liver, partly because they are poor building blocks for the enzymes that make triglycerides, and partly because they block a process called esterification that the liver uses to assemble fats. The medication may also increase the activity of lipoprotein lipase — an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides in the blood — and boost fat-burning pathways in the liver.

💊How it's taken

Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules are taken by mouth with meals. The total daily dose may be taken all at once or divided into two doses taken twice a day. Capsules must be swallowed whole — never break, crush, dissolve, or chew them.

  • Take with food to help with absorption and reduce stomach upset.
  • Continue following your lipid-lowering diet throughout treatment.
  • Follow your prescriber's instructions exactly — do not adjust the dose on your own.
🤒Side effects — in detail

The most commonly reported side effects in clinical trials were:

  • Burping (eructation) — the most frequently reported complaint
  • Upset stomach (dyspepsia)
  • Taste changes or unpleasant taste (taste perversion)

Contact your doctor promptly if you notice signs of an allergic reaction (hives, swelling, difficulty breathing), irregular heartbeat, unusual bruising or bleeding, or any symptoms suggesting liver problems such as yellowing of the skin or eyes.

⚠️Warnings & precautions
  • Atrial fibrillation risk: There is a possible association between this medication and more frequent recurrences of symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter in people who already have paroxysmal or persistent AF — especially in the first 2 to 3 months of therapy. This drug is not approved to treat AF or flutter.
  • LDL cholesterol increase: In some patients, omega-3-acid ethyl esters can raise LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol). Your doctor should monitor LDL levels periodically.
  • Liver monitoring: In patients with liver problems, liver enzyme levels (ALT and AST) should be checked regularly during treatment.
  • Fish/shellfish allergy: This medication comes from fish oil. If you have a known fish or shellfish allergy, use with caution and discuss the risk with your doctor.
  • Bleeding risk: Omega-3 fatty acids may prolong bleeding time. This has not caused major bleeding events in studies, but extra monitoring is needed if you take blood thinners or antiplatelet medications.
🔀What it interacts with

There are two main interaction categories to be aware of with omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules:

  • Blood thinners and antiplatelet drugs (e.g., warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel): omega-3-acid ethyl esters may prolong bleeding time, so your doctor should monitor you more closely if you take these together.
  • Triglyceride-raising medications (e.g., beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics, estrogens): these drugs can worsen high triglyceride levels. Your doctor may need to stop or switch them before starting omega-3-acid ethyl esters therapy.

This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

📋Before taking it
  • Allergy to omega-3 fatty acid products: Do not take this medication if you've had a serious allergic reaction (such as anaphylaxis) to omega-3-acid ethyl esters or any of its ingredients.
  • Fish or shellfish allergy: Tell your doctor — this medication is derived from fish oil and should be used with caution.
  • Liver disease: Liver enzymes will need to be monitored during treatment; tell your doctor about any history of liver problems.
  • Atrial fibrillation or flutter: Let your doctor know if you have a history of paroxysmal or persistent AF — this medication may increase the frequency of episodes.
  • Pregnancy: Human safety data are limited. Animal studies at very high doses showed some effects on fetal development. Discuss risks and benefits with your doctor.
  • Breastfeeding: EPA and DHA are found in breast milk. The effects on a nursing infant are unknown; discuss with your doctor.
  • Children: Safety and effectiveness have not been established in pediatric patients.
  • Older adults (over 65): A limited number of older adults were studied; safety and efficacy appeared similar to younger patients.
  • Kidney or liver impairment: This medication has not been formally studied in patients with kidney or liver disease; use with appropriate caution and monitoring.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it

EPA and DHA from omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules are absorbed through the gut after oral dosing. Taking higher doses produces larger increases in EPA levels in the blood (a dose-dependent effect), though DHA levels rise less predictably. Age does not appear to affect how well the body absorbs EPA and DHA, but females tend to absorb more EPA into their blood cells than males — the significance of this is not yet known. Studies show that taking this medication alongside common statins (simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin) does not meaningfully change how those drugs behave in the body, and omega-3-acid ethyl esters are not expected to significantly interact with the liver's main drug-processing enzyme system (cytochrome P450).

📦How to store it

Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) . Do not freeze. Keep out of reach of children.

📄 Written from Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →

🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What exactly is this medication for — isn't fish oil something you can just buy at the store?
Great question. Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules — including the brand Lovaza — are a prescription-strength, highly concentrated form of omega-3 fatty acids. They're specifically approved to lower severely high triglyceride levels (500 mg/dL or above) in adults when diet alone isn't enough. Over-the-counter fish oil supplements are a very different product and are not FDA-approved to treat high triglycerides at this level. Think of this as a pharmaceutical-grade treatment, not a supplement.
Do I still need to follow a diet even though I'm taking this medication?
Yes, absolutely. This medication is meant to work alongside a triglyceride-lowering diet — not replace it. You should start the diet before beginning treatment and continue it the whole time you're taking the capsules. Diet, exercise, and managing conditions like diabetes or thyroid disease that can raise triglycerides are all still important parts of the plan.
What side effects should I expect, and when should I call my doctor?
The most common side effects are burping, upset stomach, and a fishy or altered taste — these tend to be mild and often improve with time. More serious things to call your doctor about include signs of an allergic reaction (like hives, swelling, or trouble breathing), an irregular or racing heartbeat — especially if you've had atrial fibrillation before — or any unusual bruising or bleeding, particularly if you also take a blood thinner.
I take a blood thinner. Is it safe to take this along with it?
You can take them together, but your doctor should monitor you more closely. Omega-3 fatty acids can slightly prolong the time it takes your blood to clot. In studies this didn't cause serious bleeding, but when combined with a blood thinner or antiplatelet medication, regular check-ins with your prescriber are important. Make sure your doctor and pharmacist know everything you're taking.
Is it okay to take this medication if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
There's not enough human data to fully confirm it's safe during pregnancy. Animal studies at very high doses showed some effects, but not at doses close to what people take. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, have a conversation with your doctor before starting or continuing this medication — they'll weigh the benefits against any potential risks for you and your baby.
How do I take the capsules — is there anything special I need to know?
Take the capsules by mouth with a meal. The key rule: swallow them whole. Don't break, crush, dissolve, or chew them. You can take your full daily dose all at once or split it into two doses — one in the morning and one in the evening with meals — whichever your doctor recommends. Keep following your diet throughout, and expect your doctor to check your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels periodically while you're on this medication.
Is Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters available over the counter?
Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is dispensed by prescription according to its FDA labeling, so it isn't sold over the counter. Your prescriber and pharmacist will determine if it's appropriate for you.
When was Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters first available?
Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters has been available in the United States since at least 2004, based on FDA approval history (Drugs@FDA) and product marketing records.
Who makes Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters?
Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is supplied by 35 manufacturers listed in the FDA NDC Directory, including Bryant Ranch Prepack, A-S Medication Solutions, Apotex Corp..

💬 Answers drafted from Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →

🧰 Keep exploring

💊 How Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters comes

Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is available in 3 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Capsule

By mouth
Brands Lovaza Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Ester
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Lovaza capsules are used alongside diet to reduce severely elevated triglyceride levels in adults.
  • Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules are used alongside diet to reduce severely elevated triglyceride levels in adults.
Important instructions
  • Lovaza capsules are taken by mouth with meals — either all at once or split into two doses daily.
  • Lovaza capsules must be swallowed whole; do not break, crush, dissolve, or chew them.
  • Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules are taken by mouth with meals — either all at once or split into two doses daily.
  • Omega-3-acid ethyl esters capsules must be swallowed whole; do not break, crush, dissolve, or chew them.
Available strengths 2 strengths
79 FDA-listed product records

Other oral form

By mouth
Available strengths 1 strength
3 FDA-listed product records

Oral solution

By mouth
Available strengths 2 strengths
2 FDA-listed product records

📊 Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters across the U.S. market

How Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.

3
Dose forms
35
Manufacturers
3
Brand names
84
FDA-listed product records
2004
First marketed

FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

Bryant Ranch Prepack14%
A-S Medication Solutions13%
Apotex Corp.5%
Remedyrepack Inc.5%
KD Pharma USA, Inc.5%
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC4%
Other makers55%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

📈 How widely Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is used

A general measure of how commonly Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.

Think of this as a proxy for how widely Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.

450,937
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$13.2M gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters ranks #275 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 83% of them.

Where Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5

Utilization by Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters product

Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.

omega-3 acid ethyl esters (USP) 1000 MG Oral Capsule

450,937 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 100% of Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters prescriptions shown $13.2M gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $29 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 10 of 66 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 577208

Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.

Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 10 of 66 listed Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters NDCs with Medicaid activity.

🔍 Compare Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)

Showing 84 of 84 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 84 Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters NDCs →

RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength

This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.

Ingredient (IN) Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters RxCUI 484348 1 dose form · 1 strength
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Oral Capsule RxCUI 809886 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 1000 MG RxCUI 577208

Look up RxCUI 484348 in the RxCUI Atlas →

RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.

🏷️ Sold under these brand names

Lovaza Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Ester

🏭 Manufacturers & labelers

Bryant Ranch Prepack 12 A-S Medication Solutions 11 Apotex Corp. 4 Remedyrepack Inc. 4 KD Pharma USA, Inc. 4 Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC 3 Strides Pharma Science Limited 3 Major Pharmaceuticals 3 Direct_Rx 3 American Health Packaging 2 XLCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2 Woodward Pharma Services LLC 2 Puracap Laboratories Llc Dba Blu Pharmaceuticals 2 Lifestar Pharma LLC 2 AvKARE 2 Chartwell RX, LLC 2 AvPAK 2 Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2 BASF AS avd Sandefjord 2 Epic Pharma, Llc 2 Patheon Softgels Inc. 1 ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1 Waylis Therapeutics LLC 1 Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 1

…and 11 more on the FDA NDC directory.

🔬 Where this comes from

Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Mar 9, 2026
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
30
NDC products indexed
84
Distinct labelers/manufacturers represented
35
Linked representative label
Waylis Therapeutics LLC
Linked label effective
Mar 9, 2026
Composite sections available
21
Linked SPL Set ID
21cfa4ce-0b05-47ed-b268-339eb1b83b75
Linked SPL Document ID
bb196245-0938-40a1-bba1-c96dee9cf645
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

How we combine label and product data

HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 30 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.

For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Waylis Therapeutics LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.

This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.