Novartis Lp(a) drug pelacarsen shows no cardiovascular benefit, raising doubts on Amgen and Lilly programs

Novartis disclosed that its phase 3 Lp(a)Horizon trial of pelacarsen, an antisense oligonucleotide partnered with Ionis, failed to demonstrate any reduction in major cardiovascular events. The drug lowered Lp(a) levels as expected but did not improve outcomes compared with placebo.

At a median follow‑up of 4.7 years, 12.3% of patients receiving pelacarsen experienced a major adverse cardiovascular event versus 12.1% on placebo. Even among participants with baseline Lp(a) of at least 90 mg/dL, the event rates were identical at 12.3% for both arms.

The negative result dampens optimism for similar programs from Amgen and Eli Lilly, whose own Lp(a)‑targeting candidates are awaiting readouts. Analysts now question whether lowering Lp(a) alone can translate into clinical benefit.