A promising heart drug fails, challenging a long-held theory of disease

PremiumGina KolataNew York Times·7 Aug, 2026 03:17 AM5 mins to readA Novo Nordisk study testing an experimental drug for heart disease patients failed. Photo / Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg, NurPhoto via AFPThe drug targeted inflammation, and its shocking failure has experts questioning whether inflammation really does cause heart disease.

Novo Nordisk stunned the cardiology world last week when it announced that a large study it was running on an experimental drug for heart disease had failed. The drug, widely expected to

A promising heart drug fails, challenging a long-held theory of disease

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