Novartis' Cholesterol Drug Fails in Cardiovascular Trial, Casting Doubt on Lp(a) Treatment Race
Novartis announced that its experimental cholesterol drug pelacarsen failed to reduce cardiovascular events despite lowering harmful lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). The setback raises concerns about the broader development of drugs targeting this type of cholesterol. Pelacarsen, developed with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, reduced Lp(a) levels in a late-stage trial but did not significantly improve heart outcomes. This is the first major clinical failure for treatments aimed at lowering Lp(a), which affects roughly one in five people globally and currently has no approved targeted therapy. The outcome casts doubt on similar drugs from Amgen and Eli Lilly, both of whom are testing different technologies to lower Lp(a). Analysts suggest that while this weakens the case for targeting Lp(a) as a treatment strategy, it does not entirely disprove its potential. More data is needed to determine whether the failure stems from pelacarsen's mechanism or broader challenges in proving cardiovascular benefits. Novartis' stock dropped 3% following the announcement, and shares of Amgen fell about 5%, while Ionis Pharmaceuticals saw a sharper decline.
