Cardiologists expected this new drug to prevent heart attacks—so why did it fail?
A drug that heart doctors widely expected to become the next major weapon against heart attacks has failed in a large clinical trial, drugmaker Novartis announced.
Cardiologists had high hopes for a new drug called pelacarsen in preventing heart attacks, but it failed in a large clinical trial. The experimental drug lowered levels of a fatty particle linked to heart disease, but patients taking it did not experience fewer heart attacks, strokes, or heart-related deaths compared to those who received a placebo.
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale University, expressed disappointment about the results. Lp(a), the particle targeted by pelacarsen, is genetic and not affected by diet or exercise, making it an appealing drug target. The 8,323-participant trial followed patients with high Lp(a) levels and existing heart disease for seven years, with injections of either the drug or placebo.
Despite reducing Lp(a) levels by 80%, the trial showed no significant reduction in cardiovascular events, indicating that lowering Lp(a) alone may not be an effective strategy for reducing heart attacks and strokes.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
