Opinion: STAT+: A moment of reckoning for preventive cardiology and the precision medicine revolution

Sept. 24, 2026 Khetpal is a preventive cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He writes The Workup, a STAT column about cardiology. Earlier this month, Novartis released the top-line results of Lp(a) HORIZON, its highly anticipated Phase 3 trial of pelacarsen. Pelacarsen held promise as potentially the first approved therapeutic targeting lipoprotein(a), a genetically determined cholesterol particle strongly associated with heart attack and stroke risk. The study did show that pelacarsen successfully worked in lowering lipoprotein(a) levels. It didn’t, however, move the needle when it came to reducing cardiovascular events. The announcement also comes just weeks after the letdown of ZEUS, a Phase 3 trial evaluating Novo Nordisk’s ziltivekimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-6 as an anti-inflammatory agent. It too was successful in impacting its biological target, without making a difference in clinical outcomes. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe