Novartis announces Phase III trial miss for pelacarsen

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) announced that the pelacarsen Phase III Lp(a)HORIZON trialdid not meet its primary endpoint of reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization requiring hospitalization, compared to placebo.

Lower lipoprotein (a), Lp(a), levels were achieved with pelacarsen in this study population, which was receiving guideline-directed treatments, including lipid lowering and antihypertensive therapies The findings provide important new evidence on the relationship between Lp(a) lowering and cardiovascular outcomes. Elevated Lp(a) is an inherited cardiovascular risk factor affecting approximately one in five people worldwide with no approved targeted treatment.