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Novartis discontinues mid-stage lupus trial in latest pipeline setback. Published: Oct 17 2026, 04:05 AM IST * FB * TW * Linkdin * Whatsapp * GNFollow Us The multi-location study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of iptacopan (LNP023) in addition to standard-of-care treatment in lupus. * Iptacopan is sold under the brand name Fabhalta and is approved by the FDA for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, Primary Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy, and C3 Glomerulopathy. * Novartis has faced multiple clinical setbacks over the past several weeks, including trial failures and development discontinuations. * According to data from Koyfin, 8 of the 23 analysts rate the stock a 'buy' or 'strong buy,' while 13 rate it a 'hold' and only two rate it 'sell.' Shares of Novartis (NVS) closed little changed on Friday after the company decided to discontinue its mid-stage trial of iptacopan in lupus nephritis. According to a federal clinical trials registry update, the company has concluded the study over 'strategic considerations.' It is unclear if the discontinuation was spurred by efficacy or safety concerns. The multi-location study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of iptacopan (LNP023) in addition to standard-of-care treatment. The company decided to conclude the study after completing the first part, as per the database. Iptacopan is sold under the brand name Fabhalta and is approved by the FDA for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, Primary Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy, and C3 Glomerulopathy. Latest pipeline setback for Novartis. Novartis has faced multiple clinical setbacks over the past several weeks. Last month, the company said that its late-stage trial of Pelacarsen, being developed as a treatment to lower elevated lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, missed its primary goal. The company also said that its late-stage trial of del-desiran in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) missed its primary endpoint. Besides the late-stage drug failures, the company also discontinued development of VHB937 in mid-September after a mid-stage study missed primary and secondary goals. Prior to that, in August, Novartis paused multiple autoimmune and neurology trials after three fatal cases of immune effector cell-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (IEC-HS) in patients taking its experimental therapy Rap-cel. According to data from Koyfin, 8 of the 23 analysts rate the stock a 'buy' or 'strong buy,' while 13 rate it a 'hold' and only two rate it 'sell.' How did NVS retail traders react? On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVS stock stayed within the 'bearish' territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume rose from 'low' to 'normal' levels. NVS stock has gained 9% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com. Stay updated with all the latest Business News, including market trends, Share Market News, stock updates, taxation, IPOs, banking, finance, real estate, savings, and investments. Track daily Gold Price changes, updates on DA Hike, and the latest developments on the 8th Pay Commission. Get in-depth analysis, expert opinions, and real-time updates to make informed financial decisions. Download the Asianet News Official App from the Android Play Store and iPhone App Store to stay ahead in business. 0 Comments / 0 New

Evotec fills CSO vacancy; Sibylla and AL-S Pharma name new CEOs. Every Friday, The Leadership Edit follows people taking new roles across European biotech and what their moves may tell European Biotechnology about the companies they join. This week: a swift scientific leadership change at Evotec, a broader reshuffle at Sibylla and a new CEO to guide AL-S Pharma toward Phase 3. Evotec: Joanna Holbrook takes over as CSO. Holbrook will join the management board on Nov. 1, succeeding Cord Dohrmann, who stepped down Sept. 30 by mutual agreement after 16 years in the role. Holbrook joins from Novo Nordisk, where she led research in cardiovascular, renal and hepatic disease as well as in vitro discovery platforms. At Evotec, she will oversee scientific strategy across its discovery and development services and technology platforms. Go deeper. Sibylla Biotech: Four executive changes ahead of the clinic. The Italian biotech named Usman Azam CEO and Gianluca Fuggetta CFO. Azam led CAR-T developer Tmunity Therapeutics for more than five years and previously headed Novartis' cell and gene therapies unit. Sibylla cofounder and former CEO Lidia Pieri becomes COO, while Elena Ardini moves up to CSO. The team will advance Sibylla's lead Cyclin D1 protein degrader toward a first human study. Go deeper. AL-S Pharma: Harry Welten becomes CEO. He succeeds Michael Salzmann as the Swiss biotech prepares a confirmatory Phase 3 trial of AP-101, an antibody targeting misfolded SOD1 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Welten says financing and partnerships will be priorities. The company now aims to start Phase 3 in 2027, a shift from its March target of late 2026. Its earlier Phase 2 study met a primary endpoint focused on safety. Go deeper. Integra Therapeutics: Simon Dew joins to build partnerships. Dew becomes chief business officer at the Barcelona biotech, joining from Macomics after earlier business development roles at several cell and gene therapy companies. Integra wants him to find partners for FiCAT, its preclinical gene-writing platform for cell and gene therapies. The company closed a €10.7 million financing in 2025, intended to validate CAR-T applications and prepare the technology for transfer to pharma partners. Go deeper. TETRAPHARM: Rolf Sass Sørensen succeeds a cofounder. Sørensen became CEO on Oct. 6, replacing Martin Rose. Rose and fellow cofounder Jesper Breum are leaving operational roles to pursue new biotech ventures but remain shareholders. Sørensen, a former Bavarian Nordic investor relations executive, takes over a business combining preclinical drug programs with contract development and manufacturing services. Go deeper. | (C) european biotechnology | Joachim Eeckhout 16 October 2026 |

Zealand inks $1.2B Generate pact to add multispecific proteins to obesity pipeline. Zealand Pharma is paying Generate Biomedicines $30 million upfront to collaborate on multispecific drug candidates for metabolic diseases. Milestones could bring the total value of the deal above $1 billion. Obesity and other metabolic diseases form the backbone of Zealand's pipeline, which includes weight-loss drug candidates partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche. The pipeline is built on Zealand's long history of peptide R&D, but the Danish drugmaker has expanded into other modalities in the past year through partnerships with OTR Therapeutics and now Generate. Having accessed OTR's small-molecule platform in December, Zealand this week moved into protein drug development by partnering with Generate. Zealand has tasked Generate with designing and developing multispecific protein therapeutics using an AI-enabled platform. Generate will oversee research through lead-candidate selection before handing over to Zealand for clinical development onward. For the two initial partnered programs, Generate will receive the upfront fee and up to $35 million in early preclinical milestones. The deal features nearly $1.2 billion in total milestones tied to development, regulatory and commercial achievements. Zealand is also on the hook for tiered royalties on worldwide net sales of any commercial products resulting from the agreement. "This collaboration expands our toolbox to include proteins, complementing our existing small-molecule and peptide capabilities and opening new approaches for polypharmacology for innovative therapeutics," Zealand's Chief Scientific Officer Utpal Singh, Ph.D., said in the release. The deal also "reflects our strategy of expanding our platform and integrating our metabolic expertise in Copenhagen with the multi-modality expertise in Cambridge to develop next-generation therapeutics for metabolic health," Singh added. Zealand's obesity pipeline centers on a Roche-partnered amylin analog and a Boehringer-partnered glucagon/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist. Both candidates are in phase 3, but neither has wowed analysts so far. Phase 3 data on the Boehringer program sent Zealand's stock price down at the start of October, while recent phase 2 weight loss and blood sugar data on the Roche asset also disappointed analysts. Generate's internal pipeline focuses on immunology, inflammation and oncology. GB-0895, an anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody in phase 3 development for severe asthma, is the biotech's most advanced asset. Amgen and Novartis have recognized the broader utility of Generate's platform, teaming up with the biotech in 2022 and 2024, respectively, to develop protein therapeutics in multiple disease areas. Where Big Pharma is placing its bets is one of the hot topics being discussed at Fierce Biotech's high-impact event in London next month. Find out more information and register by clicking on the banner below: