Novartis Cholesterol Drug Pelacarsen Fails to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Phase 3 Trial

Novartis's cholesterol-lowering drug, pelacarsen, did not meet its primary objective of reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in the keenly anticipated Phase 3 Lp(a)HORIZON study. The trial, which enrolled over 8,000 participants, aimed to assess the drug's impact on cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization. This setback has raised concerns for other experimental medicines targeting lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), an inherited cardiovascular risk factor with no approved treatments.