Health · Medical Research · 8 hrs ago
Two heart drug studies find no reduction in heart attacks or strokes
Two studies presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting tested new approaches to preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Novartis’s drug pelacarsen lowered a blood substance called lipoprotein(a), or lp(a), but did not reduce heart attacks or strokes.
Researchers had expected that lowering lp(a) would reduce cardiovascular risk, based on genetic evidence.
A large Novo Nordisk study tested an anti-inflammatory drug targeting a protein called IL-6 and also found no benefit.
The results show that changing a suspected risk factor does not always prevent these serious events.
Heart attacks and strokes are among the leading causes of death in the developed world, so effective prevention matters.
The studies were presented at the meeting; no further next steps are stated.
Two studies of heart drugs found no reduction in heart attacks or strokes.
A Novartis drug, pelacarsen, lowered the blood substance lp(a) but did not affect the rate of heart attacks and strokes.
A large Novo Nordisk study of an anti-inflammatory drug targeting IL-6 also found no benefit.
The studies were presented Saturday at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.
- Who
- Novartis and Novo Nordisk conducted the studies.
- What
- Two studies found no reduction in heart attacks or strokes from the drugs tested.
- When
- The studies were presented Saturday; the article was published Nov. 8, 2026.
- Where
- The American Heart Association’s annual meeting. The meeting’s location is not stated.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Novartis drug
- Pelacarsen
- Blood substance
- lp(a)
- Novo Nordisk target
- IL-6
- Study results
- Neither study found a benefit against heart attacks and strokes
- Presentation
- Saturday at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting
What people are saying
technologies that were supposed to speed new medicines to patients have fallen short