Novartis Says Pelacarsen Heart Disease Drug Missed Primary Endpoint — Update
By Elias Schisgall
Novartis said a heart disease drug did not meet its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 study.
The company on Friday said that the drug, pelacarsen, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events--including deaths, heart attacks, and strokes--compared to a placebo.
The drug did succeed in lowering lipoprotein(a) levels, Novartis said.
"These are not the results we hoped for, but they provide important evidence that advances scientific understanding of the relationship between Lp(a) lowering and cardiovascular outcomes and may help inform future approaches to cardiovascular risk management," Chief Medical Officer Shreeram Aradhye said.
Pelacarsen was initially discovered and developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, before Novartis exercised an option to license development and commercialization rights for the drug in 2019.
Shares of Novartis declined 4.4% to $153.00 in after-hours trading on Friday. Ionis shares were flat.
Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 04, 2026 17:05 ET (21:05 GMT)
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