STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about another Novartis trial failure, a Novo Nordisk setback, and more — SkimNews
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- Novartis drug del-desiran failed to improve muscle function in the Phase 3 HARBOR trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the company's second major trial collapse in a matter of days.
- Novartis stock fell as much as 10% in early trading in Switzerland following the failure.
- The back-to-back study flops will likely stoke concerns about Novartis's pipeline and acquisition strategy as it navigates a major patent cliff.
- Novartis saw a separate victory with a multiple sclerosis drug last week, providing a partial counterpoint to the pipeline concerns.
- Novo Nordisk halted the HERMES and ATHENA trials of its anti-inflammatory drug ziltivekimab after a data monitoring committee concluded they were unlikely to succeed.
- The Novo Nordisk halt follows the earlier failure of ziltivekimab in the ZEUS trial, which showed the drug lowered inflammation markers but did not reduce risk of major cardiovascular events including deaths and heart attacks.
Why it matters: Novartis faces two pipeline failures in a week while navigating a major patent cliff, with stock falling as much as 10%—amplifying investor concerns about deal-making strategy even as an MS drug victory last week provided partial relief.
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