Novo Nordisk halts two more IL-6 heart-drug trials for futility

Novo Nordisk has stopped two Phase 3 trials—HERMES and ATHENA—testing ziltivekimab, an experimental antibody that blocks the inflammatory signaling protein IL-6, in heart-failure patients.

An independent data-monitoring committee concluded there was a low likelihood that either study would produce a successful result, a decision known as stopping for futility—not because of a newly reported safety problem.

The move follows the July failure of the ZEUS trial, in which ziltivekimab lowered inflammatory biomarkers but did not reduce major cardiovascular events such as cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, or nonfatal stroke.

The company’s remaining major ziltivekimab study, ARTEMIS, is testing the drug in patients recovering from an acute heart attack and is continuing as planned, with results expected in the first half of 2027.

The setbacks weaken Novo Nordisk’s effort to expand beyond its dominant diabetes and obesity medicines and raise broader questions about whether suppressing IL-6 inflammation translates into better cardiovascular outcomes.