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Novartis cholesterol drug pelacarsen shows no heart attack or stroke benefit

The Horizon trial found no cardiovascular benefit despite a 78% drop in Lp(a) levels.

Published Nov 7, 2026 · 17:50 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Novartis said its experimental drug pelacarsen failed to meet trial goals and showed no measurable effect on heart attacks or strokes.[NPR · NBC News]
  • The Horizon trial enrolled people with high Lp(a) and prior heart events, and the drug cut Lp(a) by 78% versus 13% for placebo.[NBC News]
  • Results were presented at an American Heart Association meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[NBC News]
  • Lead investigator Steven Nissen said no further pelacarsen studies are planned, while similar drugs from other firms remain in trials.[NBC News]

Key facts

  • Pelacarsen showed zero decreases in stroke, heart attack, cardiovascular deaths, or artery-opening procedures in the Horizon trial.[NBC News]
  • The Horizon trial included 8,322 people with high Lp(a) levels and prior heart attack, stroke, or other heart problems within 10 years.[NBC News]
  • The drug reduced Lp(a) by 78% compared with a 13% reduction in the placebo group.[NBC News]
  • Novartis sponsored the study and announced last month that results had not met its goals, without releasing specifics.[NPR]
  • Findings were presented at an American Heart Association meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[NBC News]
  • Lead investigator Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic said the results were a surprise.[NBC News]
  • Nissen said no further pelacarsen studies are planned, while similar drugs from Eli Lilly, Amgen, and Silence Therapeutics are in the pipeline.[NBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Reports give different trial sizes, with 8,322 patients in one account and 8,350 adults in the other.[NPR · NBC News]
  • The reason the drug failed is unresolved; Dr. Karol Watson's suggestion that treatment came too late in life is only a possibility.[NBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.