Novartis reports that its drug candidate aimed at lowering lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), fails a key test in a major study linked to a new approach for reducing heart disease risk. The result indicates the medicine does not meet the trial’s primary or key efficacy endpoint as assessed by the company and trial investigators.
The failure comes as multiple companies pursue Lp(a)-lowering therapies for cardiovascular prevention. NDTV notes that Amgen and Eli Lilly are also developing their own drugs targeting Lp(a), but they are described as being further behind in the development pipeline compared with Novartis at the time of the trial. While outlets agree on the direction of the development race—competition to validate Lp(a) as a therapeutic target—details on timelines and specific trial stages can differ by source.
Overall, the report places Novartis’s setback alongside ongoing efforts by competitors, underlining that the industry is still working to prove which Lp(a)-lowering strategies translate into meaningful cardiovascular benefits in patients.
