Novo Nordisk shares drop following failed heart drug trial
The experimental drug ziltivekimab failed to meet primary endpoints in a Phase 3 study.
Talivio News · Global1 min read
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Talivio News (AI illüstrasyon)
Shares of Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk fell as much as 10% following the announcement of a failed late-stage heart drug trial.
The Phase 3 study for the investigational anti-inflammatory drug ziltivekimab enrolled over 6,300 people with heart disease, kidney disease, and inflammation. While the drug lowered markers of inflammation during the study, it did not achieve a statistically meaningful reduction in Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) compared to a placebo. MACE is defined as cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, or non-fatal stroke.
8.6% drop
Novo Nordisk shares listed in Copenhagen
In premarket trading, the company's American depositary receipts were 9.8% lower. Shares listed in Copenhagen were down 8.6%.
Novo Nordisk chief scientific officer Martin Holst Lange stated that the trial results do not change the company's strategic commitment to cardiovascular disease.
Updates
The ZEUS trial, which evaluated monthly 15 mg doses of ziltivekimab in over 6,300 participants, showed that while the drug successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway, it failed to reduce the rates of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to the placebo. Following the decline, Novo Nordisk's stock is disputed to be down more than 10% year-to-date, while other reports suggest shares have actually risen 0.4% this year. Additionally, the company's Q2 earnings are expected on Aug. 5, with a consensus estimate of $0.81 per share, representing a 16.5% decline from $0.97 last year.
The ZEUS trial revealed that while ziltivekimab successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway as expected, it failed to lower the rate of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to a placebo in over 6,300 participants. Following this decline, Novo Nordisk's stock is disputed to be down more than 10% year-to-date, though other reports suggest it is up 0.4% for the year. Additionally, the company's shares have plummeted 62% since July 2024 and are down 5% over the past 52 weeks.
While ziltivekimab successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway, the ZEUS trial failed to reduce the rates of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to the placebo group. Following this outcome, Novo Nordisk's stock has seen disputed reports of a year-to-date decline of over 10%, while other data suggests shares are up 0.4% for the year. The company is scheduled to release its Q2 earnings on August 5, with consensus expectations projecting $0.81 in earnings per share, a 16.5% decrease from $0.97 a year earlier.
The ZEUS trial evaluated 15 mg monthly doses of ziltivekimab in over 6,300 participants, finding that while the drug successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway, it failed to reduce rates of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to the placebo. Although there are conflicting reports, some claims suggest Novo Nordisk's stock is down more than 10% year-to-date following the decline, while others dispute this, stating shares are up 0.4% this year. Additionally, the company's Q2 earnings are scheduled for release on Aug. 5, with consensus expecting $0.81 in earnings per share, a 16.5% decline from $0.97 a year earlier.
While ziltivekimab successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway as expected, the ZEUS trial failed to lower the rates of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to a placebo. Although Novo Nordisk's shares are reportedly down more than 10% year-to-date following the decline, some sources dispute this figures, claiming shares are actually up 0.4% this year. Additionally, the company is scheduled to release Q2 earnings on August 5, with a consensus expectation of $0.81 per share, representing a 16.5% decline from $0.97 a year earlier.
While ziltivekimab successfully inhibited the IL-6 inflammatory pathway, it failed to reduce rates of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular deaths compared to a placebo in the ZEUS trial involving over 6,300 participants. Additionally, there are conflicting reports regarding Novo Nordisk's year-to-date performance, with some sources disputing whether shares are down more than 10% or up 0.4% following the decline.
