Health & Bio2 min read
Health & Bio
Novartis Heart Drug Pelacarsen Fails Pivotal Trial Despite Lowering Risk Marker
Novartis said its drug pelacarsen failed a Phase 3 trial, missing its goal of reducing cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke, even though it sharply lowered levels of the risk marker Lp(a).
A closely watched cardiovascular drug from Novartis has failed in a pivotal study, the company said, dealing a blow to efforts to target a common heart disease risk factor. The drug, called pelacarsen, had shown in earlier trials that it could drastically lower levels of Lp(a), a blob of lipids and proteins that raises the likelihood of severe heart problems when found at elevated concentrations.
In the , called HORIZON, pelacarsen failed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes compared with a placebo, Novartis said. The result is a setback for the broader effort to treat heart disease by targeting Lp(a) specifically, an approach that other companies, including Amgen and Eli Lilly, are also pursuing with their own experimental therapies.
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#Novartis#cardiovascular disease#clinical trial#Lp(a)#pelacarsen
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