Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) confirmed Monday September 7, 2026 that it had informed investigators on Friday September 4 that the HERMES and ATHENA Phase 3 trials of ziltivekimab (an anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody) would end early on the recommendation of an independent data monitoring committee that judged the studies unlikely to succeed. HERMES evaluated ziltivekimab against time to first occurrence of heart failure endpoints including cardiovascular death and heart-failure-linked hospitalisation or urgent visits; ATHENA evaluated the drug's effect on quality of life and other heart-failure-specific measures. The terminations follow the June 2026 ZEUS trial miss (chronic kidney disease plus cardiovascular disease) reported at the ESC Congress August 30, where ziltivekimab lowered inflammation markers but did not reduce major adverse cardiovascular events. A separate post-acute heart failure study of ziltivekimab remains ongoing. Novo shares finished down about 2% on the announcement day (Copenhagen trading open; NYSE closed for Labor Day), with the pediatric semaglutide win offset by the further narrowing of the company's non-GLP-1 growth options.
Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University published a systematic review and meta-analysis in Cardiovascular Diabetology - Endocrinology Reports on May 20 covering long-term cardiovascular outcomes for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in high-risk cardiovascular populations. The review aggregated data from more than 90,000 participants across large international clinical trials. The headline finding: GLP-1 receptor agonists significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and premature death over the long term in patients with established cardiovascular disease and high cardiovascular risk. The review extends the SELECT 20% MACE-reduction signal to the broader high-risk-CV population and joins the established cardiovascular-outcomes evidence base alongside the LEADER (liraglutide), SUSTAIN-6 (semaglutide), and STEP-HFpEF (semaglutide in heart failure) trial readouts. The Anglia Ruskin synthesis is the broadest evidence aggregation to date — directly relevant to the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge that begins July 1, 2026.
Prof. John Wilding (University of Liverpool) and colleagues will present at ECO 2026 a real-world observational study tracking obesity-linked complication rates by degree of GLP-1-driven weight loss. In the year following GLP-1 treatment initiation, 27.0% of patients had BMI reductions <5%, 22.4% had 5-<10%, 14.1% had 10-<15%, 15.8% had ≥15%, and 20.8% gained BMI. Over a mean 11-month follow-up, patients with ≥15% BMI reduction had 37% lower osteoarthritis odds, 30% lower CKD odds, 69% lower OSA odds, and 32% lower heart failure odds versus those with 0-5% reduction (all statistically significant except heart failure). Incidence per 1,000 person-years: 21.4 OA, 21.1 CKD, 20.3 OSA, 3.9 HF. The data quantifies the value of pushing for deeper weight loss rather than cruise-control dosing.
A Mass General Brigham study of over 90,000 HFpEF patients published in JAMA found semaglutide reduced heart failure hospitalization or all-cause mortality by 42%, while tirzepatide achieved a 58% risk reduction compared with sitagliptin. Both drugs showed acceptable safety profiles with benefits appearing early in treatment.