Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Cardiologists still see promise in anti-inflammatory heart treatments
Cardiologists say they will keep pursuing anti-inflammatory treatments despite a failed Novo Nordisk trial.
The ZEUS study tested ziltivekimab in patients with severe illness.
The drug lowered IL-6, a marker of inflammation, but did not reduce heart attacks, strokes or deaths compared with a placebo.
Inflammation is considered an important factor in cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Novo Nordisk halted two other trials after a monitoring committee found they were unlikely to succeed.
The ZEUS results were presented at an American Heart Association meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The ZEUS trial found that ziltivekimab lowered an inflammation marker but did not reduce serious heart events.
The trial compared patients with severe illness who received the drug with those who received a placebo.
Novo Nordisk halted two other trials of ziltivekimab after a committee found they were unlikely to succeed.
Cardiologists still see promise in anti-inflammatory heart treatments, according to the story headline.
ZEUS results were presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Who
- Novo Nordisk conducted the ZEUS study. Cardiologists are described as still pursuing anti-inflammatory treatments.
- What
- Ziltivekimab lowered IL-6 levels but did not reduce heart attacks, strokes, or deaths compared with placebo.
- When
- The results were described briefly in July and detailed further on Saturday. The article was published on 2026-11-07.
- Where
- The results were detailed at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions in Chicago.
- Why
- The results showed that reducing IL-6 did not translate into fewer serious heart events in the treatment group.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Brief results from the ZEUS trial showed that the drug lowered two inflammation biomarkers but did not limit serious heart events.
A data monitoring committee found that the HERMES and ATHENA trials were unlikely to succeed, and Novo halted them.
ZEUS results were detailed at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Study
- ZEUS
- Drug
- Ziltivekimab, a monoclonal antibody
- Inflammation marker
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
- Other trials halted
- HERMES and ATHENA
- Company
- Novo Nordisk