STAT+: Novartis, Novo Nordisk drug failures will likely ‘pop a hole in the balloon’ of the field — SkimNews
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- Novartis reported just before Labor Day that pelacarsen failed in a widely watched, seven-year clinical trial designed to reduce heart attack and stroke by lowering lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a).
- Lp(a) is a lipid that, at elevated concentrations, increases the likelihood of severe heart problems — an estimated 20% of people have abnormally high levels, making it a large potential patient population.
- Pelacarsen was the first stab at a new cardiovascular treatment category, and multiple other drug companies have invested billions of dollars in their own Lp(a) medications.
- The pelacarsen failure came as part of back-to-back cardiovascular drug setbacks from Novartis and Novo Nordisk earlier this month.
- The STAT+ framing argues these dual failures could produce a chilling effect across the industry, undermining confidence in the entire Lp(a) drug class.
Why it matters: The Lp(a) drug class — pursued by multiple companies with billions in combined R&D investment — just lost its first pivotal late-stage trial. With an estimated 20% of people harboring elevated Lp(a) levels, the unmet need is enormous, but the field now faces a credibility blow that could redirect capital toward alternative cardiovascular targets.
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