Payers 'just need time' to update formularies for Amarin's Vascepa, Roth says - InvestingChannel

Payers ‘just need time’ to update formularies for Amarin’s Vascepa, Roth says

Following yesterday’s speculation regarding UnitedHealth’s (UNH) reimbursement of Amarin’s (AMRN) Vascepa, Roth Capital analyst Yasmeen Rahimi believes payers “just need time to absorb label expansion to update formularies.” Although Amarin communicated Vascepa’s new label to all major payers within 24 hours of the recent approval, label expansion occurred barely four weeks ago and many payers are digesting specifics of the new label and how it impacts coverage, Rahimi tells investors in a research note tiled “World’s the Oyster in 2020 for Vascepa.” The analyst also notes that Amarin, per the company’s management, already has meetings scheduled in Q1 with some of the largest national payers, “which should allow for productive dialogue especially around prior authorizations.” Rahimi sees “strong supporting evidence” indicating that reimbursement and coverage will only improve given the new cardiovascular risk reduction label for Vascepa. With a “broad label” in Canada that looks similar to the FDA approval, Amarin is positioned for “strong partnership interest” in Europe and the remaining geographies, contends the analyst. Rahimi says the company’s continued news flow in early 2020, especially around approval of Vascepa by Health Canada and this week’s “continued strong” guidance update, marks strong execution by the management team. The analyst keeps a Buy rating on the shares with a $31 price target. Amarin in morning trading is up 70c to $20.16.