Novartis halts Ph III LCZ696 trial on strong results

Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX) says that the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) unanimously recommended early closure of the PARADIGM-HF study, based on the strength of interim results, with the news pushing the firm’s shares 3.7% higher to 75.15 Swiss francs by close of trading.

The findings of this Phase III trial indicated that patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-REF) who received LCZ696 lived longer without being hospitalized for heart failure than those who received standard care with ACE-inhibitor enalapril. Based on the compelling efficacy and primary endpoint having been met, the trial will now close early. This follows two previous interim analyses that showed the safety profile of LCZ696 was acceptable.

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