# Novartis Lp(a) Drug Fails to Show Any Benefit in Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial

Novartis has released data from its cardiovascular outcomes trial for an experimental drug targeting lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). The results showed a total absence of efficacy. The failure raises questions about upcoming readouts from similar programs at Amgen and Eli Lilly.

The trial was designed to test whether lowering Lp(a) levels would reduce cardiovascular events. Novartis reported that the drug provided no benefit compared to placebo. The company has not disclosed specific numerical results, but the lack of any efficacy signal is a significant setback.

Amgen and Lilly are both developing their own Lp(a)-lowering therapies. Their late-stage trials are expected to report results in the coming months. Analysts and investors will now scrutinize those programs more closely, given Novartis’s outcome.

**Why it matters for the life sciences**

Lp(a) is a genetically determined form of cholesterol that is linked to heart disease, stroke, and aortic stenosis. No approved drug currently targets Lp(a) specifically. The failure of Novartis’s candidate suggests that simply lowering Lp(a) levels may not be sufficient to reduce cardiovascular risk, or that the mechanism of action matters. The result has implications for drug development strategies across the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, as well as for the understanding of lipid biology and cardiovascular medicine.

Source: [original report](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/novartis-lpa-drug-shows-zero-benefit-casting-shadow-over-amgen-and-lilly-programs)