Novo Nordisk's Experimental Heart Drug Faces New Trial Halts

Novo Nordisk announced on Monday that it has halted two additional trials for its experimental cardiovascular drug, ziltivekimab. This decision further complicates the Danish drugmaker's efforts to expand beyond its established obesity and diabetes treatments.

Previously, in July, Novo reported that ziltivekimab did not reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including death, heart attack, or stroke, when compared to a placebo in a late-stage study. The two newly halted trials were evaluating different clinical outcomes in heart failure patients.

An independent data monitoring committee found a low probability that these studies would yield different results than the prior failed trial. This setback mirrors a similar outcome for Novartis' experimental cardiovascular drug, raising questions about the underlying inflammatory-disease hypothesis for both medicines. A separate trial of ziltivekimab in patients recovering from a heart attack is still underway, with results expected in the first half of 2027.