STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about another Novartis trial failure, a Novo Nordisk setback, and more — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Novartis drug del-desiran failed to improve muscle function in the Phase 3 HARBOR trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), its second major trial collapse in days.
- Novartis shares fell as much as 10% in early Swiss trading, with the back-to-back failures stoking concerns about its pipeline and acquisition strategy as it navigates a major patent cliff.
- The del-desiran flop comes despite a recent multiple sclerosis drug victory for Novartis last week — the lone bright spot in an embattled pipeline.
- Novo Nordisk halted the HERMES and ATHENA trials of ziltivekimab after a data monitoring committee concluded they were unlikely to succeed, notifying trial investigators Friday.
- The halt follows the earlier ZEUS trial failure of ziltivekimab, which lowered inflammation markers but did not reduce deaths, heart attacks, or other major clinical complications.
Why it matters: Novartis now has two pipeline failures during a critical patent-cliff window, with a 10% stock rout signaling investor unease about its acquisition strategy, while Novo Nordisk's inflammation-targeting cardiovascular approach has now collapsed across three consecutive trials (ZEUS, HERMES, ATHENA), narrowing the company's therapeutic bet.
Ask SkimNews
