Novartis drug lowers risk marker but fails to cut heart attack rates

According to STAT, Novartis presented data at the AHA conference showing its drug reduced a key risk marker for cardiovascular disease but did not decrease the actual risk of heart attack or stroke. The result raises new questions about the link between biomarkers and clinical outcomes.

This matters for pharma and biotech executives as it challenges the value of targeting certain biomarkers in drug development. Companies may need to reassess their clinical trial endpoints and consider broader measures of patient benefit.