New Heart Drug From Novartis Falls Short in Clinical Trial: ‘Not the Results We Hoped For’
- On Friday, Novartis and partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that pelacarsen failed the Phase 3 HORIZON trial, missing its primary goal of reducing cardiovascular death or emergencies compared to placebo.
- The trial targeted lipoprotein, a genetic cholesterol risk factor affecting approximately 20% of people worldwide that contributes to plaque buildup and inflammation in arteries, leading to cardiovascular events.
- Although pelacarsen substantially lowered lipoprotein levels, Ionis CEO Brett Monia said it did not translate to cardiovascular risk reduction, while Novartis chief medical officer Shreeram Aradhye called the results "important evidence" for scientific understanding.
- Shares of Novartis declined 5%, while Ionis stock fell 12% in aftermarket trading, as investors reacted to the failure of the 8,323-patient cardiovascular outcomes trial.
- Citi analyst Geoff Meacham noted this failure lowers confidence in the drug class, increasing pressure on competitors like Amgen's olpasiran and Eli Lilly's lepodisiran, which remain in late-stage development.
27 Articles
27 Articles
About one in five people has too high Lp(a) levels – and thus an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Why a promising drug failed in a large study and what this means for drug development as well as for those affected.
New heart drug from Novartis falls short in clinical trial: ‘Not the results we hoped for’
Pelacarsen, an investigational heart drug developed by Novartis, did successfully reduce Lp(a) levels in high-risk heart patients. However, it was unable to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among those patients.
The Seattle Times
Bioethics.comAnother heart drug fails, shocking cardiologists
Novartis announced Friday that its experimental drug, pelacarsen, widely assumed to be the vanguard of a new era in preventing heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths, had failed.
Doctors hoped that the drug, which was being tested in an extensive clinical trial by Novartis, would become a powerful new tool to fight heart disease.
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