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Novo Nordisk's Martin Holst Lange reports that the drug ziltivekimab failed to provide significant heart benefits in a major trial.

Novo Nordisk's Martin Holst Lange reported that the drug ziltivekimab failed to provide significant heart benefits in a major trial. The Zeus study, which enrolled over 6,000 people with chronic kidney disease or atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, showed that while ziltivekimab successfully lowered inflammatory proteins, it did not lead to a achieve a measurable heart benefit. Science chief Martin Holst Lange noted that the drug had high potential but also high risk. The results were similar to a placebo in terms of death rates and serious adverse events, though a higher proportion of recipients experienced serious infections. These findings impacted the administration of cardiovascular research and have caused a ripple effect across the biotech sector. Shares of companies like BioAge Labs, and Neurocrine Biosciences fell as investors questioned the role of hsCRP in heart protection. Analyst Andy Hsieh noted that the lack of signal and the appearance of serious infections challenge the current approach to cardiovascular drug development.

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