Novartis axed two late-stage programs targeting cancer-related blood clots after observing “inferior efficacy” in a clinical trial, the company confirmed.
Both programs were in late-stage development when Novartis cut them, meaning years of patient enrollment and clinical investment ended without a marketable product. Cancer-associated thrombosis is a serious complication in oncology. Cancer patients face elevated clotting risk compared to the general population. It’s an area where drug developers have spent years trying to improve on standard anticoagulation regimens.
The “inferior efficacy” language is blunt. Cutting two programs at once from the same indication is unusual: it typically suggests the problem sits with the treatment target or approach, not just a single molecule. Pharma companies don’t cut late-stage programs on ambiguous data, and exiting both at the same time makes the verdict harder to walk back.
Novartis hasn’t disclosed the names of the two discontinued drugs, the specific trial that produced the efficacy read-out, or whether it plans to continue pursuing cancer-associated thrombosis through alternative approaches.
No timeline for next steps.
— Sarah Chen