Novartis' Clinical Failure Impacts Cardiovascular Drug Race and Eli Lilly
On Sept. 4, 2026, Novartis announced that its late-stage clinical trial for pelacarsen did not meet the primary endpoint of reducing cardiovascular events despite lowering Lp(a) levels effectively. Pelacarsen was developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and licensed to Novartis in 2019 as a potential blockbuster drug with projected peak annual sales between $4 billion and $5 billion. Eli Lilly's stock did not experience significant declines following the news, unlike Amgen’s shares which dropped nearly 10%. Analysts attribute this muted reaction to differences in approach: Lilly is developing lepodisiran, a different type of Lp(a)-lowering drug that showed greater efficacy and broader patient inclusion. Additionally, Lilly's strong performance in diabetes and obesity treatments has insulated it from the impact. While Novartis' failure could raise concerns about the overall viability of targeting Lp(a), Lilly remains positioned with alternative strategies such as its base-editing therapy VERVE-102 acquired through Verve Therapeutics. Full data on pelacarsen is expected to be presented at a future medical congress, which may provide further clarity.
Tickers: $AMGN $IONS $LLY $NVS
Topics: biopharma competition cardiovascular medicine drug development