Novartis' Failed Cholesterol Drug Trial Raises Questions About Amgen and Eli Lilly's Experimental Treatments
On September 8, 2026, Novartis announced that its cholesterol drug pelacarsen failed to meet primary endpoints in a late-stage trial. This outcome has raised concerns for rival experimental drugs from Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), both of which are testing therapies targeting lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a). Analysts suggest that Amgen's olpasiran faces the most direct negative implications due to its similar trial design. In contrast, Lilly’s lepodisiran is being tested in a broader patient population and may not be as directly affected by Novartis' failure. Despite this setback for Novartis, analysts remain cautiously optimistic about Amgen's and Lilly's prospects. Both companies have demonstrated stronger Lp(a) reductions in earlier studies and are focusing on specific high-risk populations where their drugs might show clearer benefits. Additionally, both firms generate significant revenue from existing products, which provides financial flexibility to continue development even if the trials fall short. The failure of pelacarsen has increased scrutiny around whether lowering Lp(a) can meaningfully reduce cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. This raises regulatory hurdles for Amgen and Lilly as they seek approval based on similar mechanisms.
Topics: cardiovascular health cholesterol drugs drug development Lp(a)