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HealthNovartis experimental drug del-desiran fails late-stage trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1
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Novartis announced on September 8, 2026, that its experimental drug del-desiran failed to meet the primary goal in a late-stage clinical trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1, a neuromuscular disease. The drug, which Novartis acquired through its $12 billion purchase of Avidity Biosciences, did not show a statistically significant improvement over placebo in the time it took patients to open their hand after gripping. Despite missing the primary endpoint, the company reported evidence of clinical activity for other objectives and said safety data were generally consistent with previous studies. Novartis stated it is evaluating the full dataset and will discuss the most appropriate path forward for del-desiran with health authorities. The company reaffirmed its guidance for annual sales growth of 5% to 6% over the 2025-2030 period, indicating the trial failure is not expected to materially impact its overall financial outlook.
Source report
By Adria Calatayud
Novartis announced Tuesday that its experimental drug for myotonic dystrophy type 1, a neuromuscular disease, failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage trial.
The drug, del-desiran, was one of three therapies the Swiss pharmaceutical company added to its pipeline through its $12 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences.
Trial Results
- Del-desiran did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement compared with placebo on the primary objective.
- The trial measured the time it took patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 to open their hand after gripping.
- The drug showed evidence of clinical activity for other secondary objectives.
- Safety data were generally consistent with previous studies.
Next Steps
Novartis stated it is evaluating the full dataset and will discuss the most appropriate path forward for del-desiran with health authorities.
Financial Guidance
The company reiterated its guidance for annual sales growth of 5% to 6% over the 2025–2030 period.
Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires September 08, 2026 01:35 ET (05:35 GMT)
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