The Danish pharma\u2019s decision to shutter the studies early was \u201cbased on a recommendation from the Data Monitoring Committee on the totality of the data (including the low likelihood of a different outcome from ZEUS),\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
At the end of July, Novo\u2019s IL-6 inhibitor ziltivekimab failed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events<\/a> in the late-stage ZEUS trial, dashing the pharma\u2019s hopes for the heart inflammation program while also shaking other industry players<\/a> working on the same pathway.<\/p>\n \u201cIL-6 now looks like an invalid target in chronic cardiovascular disease,\u201d Oppenheimer analysts wrote on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The industry had held out hope that the futility in ZEUS was potentially related to the trial\u2019s population, which included patients with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and inflammation.<\/p>\n Now, however, the futility terminations of both HERMES and ATHENA \u201cremove the population-selection defense,\u201d Oppenheimer said. HERMES enrolled nearly 5,000 patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction and systemic inflammation, while ATHENA recruited 680 patients for the same type of heart failure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n Novo Nordisk was banking on the inflammatory benefits of its investigational therapy ziltivekimab to improve cardiovascular outcomes. Last week\u2019s Phase 3 failure dashed not just the Danish pharma\u2019s hopes but that of other drugmakers working on the same pathway.\n <\/p>\n August 3, 2026<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0<\/p>\n 2 min read<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0<\/p>\n With the addition of the two new trial fails, six total cardiovascular studies have flopped in just nine weeks, according to Oppenheimer.<\/p>\n Beyond Novo\u2019s three studies, AstraZeneca and Ionis Pharmaceuticals\u2019 antisense oligonucleotide Wainua failed<\/a> to significantly help patients with transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), shaking the field\u2019s confidence<\/a> in the transthyretin silencer drug class. Most recently, Novartis\u2019 antisense therapy pelacarsen showed no significant benefit<\/a> on cardiovascular risk in a late-stage study. This outcome, analysts said, raises questions about a popular target for heart disease.<\/p>\n When including Tenax Therapeutics\u2019 late-stage flop for oral levosimendan in pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the findings have produced a narrative that cardiovascular outcome trials \u201care becoming unwinnable,\u201d Oppenheimer said.<\/p>\n But the analysts believe a deeper framing is needed, pointing to differences across the trials, such as attempts to treat different aspects of heart conditions and population variances.<\/p>\n As for Novo, the obesity heavyweight is still waiting on results for another Phase 3 trial called ARTEMIS<\/a>, which is testing ziltivekimab in the acute setting after heart attack. The study will continue as planned, with a readout slated for the first half of next year.<\/p>\n \u201cARTEMIS remains active with lower expectations for success,\u201d BMO analysts wrote Tuesday. The firm pointed to Novo\u2019s Capital Markets Day, which will take place Sept. 21, as a near-term focus for investors.<\/p>\n Novo\u2019s stock has dipped 2% to $45.59 per share since market open on Tuesday. While Oppenheimer analysts were not entirely surprised about the new HERMES and ATHENA discontinuations, they did say they expect Novo shares \u201cto be mildly pressured\u201d by the announcement.<\/p>\n![\"crack](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788881233_1_.jpeg\")
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