Novo Nordisk has stopped two cardiovascular outcome trials of ziltivekimab, its anti-inflammatory drug, after an independent data monitoring committee concluded they were unlikely to succeed. The company notified trial investigators late last week.
The halted studies were the HERMES and ATHENA trials. Ziltivekimab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks interleukin-6 (IL-6), a driver of inflammation — the idea being that calming inflammation could lower cardiovascular risk.
Why it matters
This follows the earlier failure of the pivotal ZEUS Phase 3 trial, which concluded in July 2026. ZEUS enrolled more than 6,300 patients with cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, and it delivered a puzzling result: the drug successfully lowered markers of inflammation but did not reduce major events like heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths.
That disconnect — less inflammation, but no fewer heart attacks — is the crux. It casts doubt on the broader bet that targeting inflammation directly can prevent cardiovascular events, at least via IL-6 in this population. For Novo Nordisk, better known for its blockbuster metabolic drugs, it’s a strategic disappointment; for cardiology, it’s a sobering data point for a much-watched hypothesis. This is business/clinical news, not medical advice.