# Novo Nordisk Abandons Additional Phase 3 Trials for Ziltivekimab

Novo Nordisk has scrapped two more phase 3 trials of ziltivekimab, further reducing the outlook for a drug that analysts had once projected as a potential blockbuster. The decision follows a pattern of setbacks for the chronic kidney disease (CKD) program.

The company discontinued two late-stage studies, adding to earlier trial cancellations for the molecule. Ziltivekimab is an anti-inflammatory drug being investigated for CKD patients. The exact reasons for the trial halts were not disclosed in the available summary.

Analysts had previously forecast that ziltivekimab could generate significant revenue for Novo Nordisk, which is best known for its diabetes and obesity drugs. The repeated trial cancellations now cast doubt on whether the molecule will reach the market.

## Why It Matters

CKD afflicts hundreds of millions of people worldwide and remains a major unmet medical need. Current treatments slow disease progression but do not stop it. A successful anti-inflammatory therapy like ziltivekimab would have addressed a key driver of kidney damage. The program’s collapse leaves a gap in a pipeline that many hoped would expand Novo Nordisk beyond metabolic disease into a new therapeutic area. For the broader biotech industry, the setback highlights the difficulty of translating inflammatory biomarker targets into effective CKD therapies.

Source: [original report](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/novos-blockbuster-hopes-ckd-program-dwindle-after-more-phase-3-trials-scrapped)