STUDIES IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE SINCE THE 1970S HAVE STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (EPA) IS A SIGNIFICANT MODULATOR OF THROMBOXANE AND PROSTAGLANDIN ACTIVITY, PRIMARILY IN ITS ROLE AS A PRECURSOR OF THE 3 CLASS OF THROMBOXANES AND

STUDIES IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE SINCE THE 1970S HAVE STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (EPA) IS A SIGNIFICANT MODULATOR OF THROMBOXANE AND PROSTAGLANDIN ACTIVITY, PRIMARILY IN ITS ROLE AS A PRECURSOR OF THE 3 CLASS OF THROMBOXANES AND PROSTAGLANDINS. A RECENT 20-YEAR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY UNCOVERED A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEENINCREASED FISH CONSUMPTION AND DECREASED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MORTALITY IN A DUTCH POPULATION. A DIET CONTAINING GREATER THAN 400MG PER DAY OF EPA GAVE GREATER THAN A 50% REDUCTION IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MORTALITY, COMPARED WITHA DIET CONTAINING NO FISH OIL. IT APPEARS POSSIBLE FROM THIS AND OTHER STUDIES THAT A RELATIVELY LOW INTAKE OF EPA- FISH OILS ON A CHRONIC BASIS MAY SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY. LIPID SPECIALTIES HAS RECENTLY PROCESSED A FISH OIL TO CONTAIN 30% EPA WITHOUT HEAVY METAL OR PCB CONTAMINATION. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON STABILIZING EPA-FISH OILS USING TOCOPHEROLS AND A NEW CLASS OF SEMISYNTHETIC PHOSPHOLIPIDS, THE LIPID X SURFACTANTS. THESE SURFACTANTS ARE UNIQUE IN BEING COMPLETELY MISCIBLE WITH OILS, AND SO WILL SOLUBILIZE THE TOCOPHEROLS. IF THE RESISTANCE TO OXIDATION CAN BE RAISED TO GREATER THAN AN AOM OF 8 HOURS, PHASE II STUDIES WOULD INCLUDE TOXICOLOGY STUDIES OF LIPID X ADMINISTERED ORALLY TOANIMALS, WITH A GOAL OF OBTAINING FDA APPROVAL OF LIPID X AS A FOOD ADDITIVE.