9 hours ago
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) shed roughly $12 billion in market value after hours on September 4, 2026. The stock declined by about 5% to $415. The reason, as strange as it sounds, is a drug it does not own. Novartis announced that pelacarsen, an Lp(a)-lowering therapy, missed its Phase 3 cardiovascular-outcomes trial, Lp(a)HORIZON. And since Amgen's late-stage ******* et olpasiran relies on the same biological premise, investors immediately marked down Amgen on the negative read-through.
The result strikes at a premise rather than at a product. Pelacarsenhad lowered Lp(a) by roughly 80% in earlier studies. In Lp(a)HORIZON, Novartis said pelacarsen substantially lowered Lp(a), but it still failed to reduce the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and urgent revascularization. It still could not reduce the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and urgent revascularization. And now the entire hypothesis that lowering Lp(a), a genetic cardiovascular risk factor, actually cuts events, is being directly challenged. Olpasiran is built on the same hypothesis, leading to the repricing of odds as soon as pelacarsen's data were out.
Amgen's olpasiran, an siRNA, lowered Lp(a) by more than 95% at certain doses in Phase 2, compared with reductions of roughly 80% for pelacarsen in earlier studies. The bull case is that this deeper reduction could help olpasiran deliver better cardiovascular outcomes.. The bull case is that this 15% will help Amgen to make a deeper cut and deliver results. While biologically possible, the Lp(a)HORIZON trial provided no evidence that a clinical threshold exists above an 80% reduction. The topline Phase 3 announcement did not establish that deeper Lp(a) lowering would have produced a cardiovascular benefit. It is therefore appropriate to say that the miss lowered olpasiran's probability of success rather than pretending it is irrelevant. Eli Lilly's lepodisiran is running the same deep-reduction experiment, so the hypothesis will be tested with or without Amgen.
Amgen is not an Lp(a) pure-play. MariTide in obesity, Repatha in cholesterol, and Tezspire in asthma drive more value for the company, and this diversification creates a cushion for the stock, although the selloff ultimately became much larger than the initial 5% after-hours reaction. Positioning has stayed calm since the beginning of 2026. Insider Monkey data shows 66 hedge funds held AMGN in the second quarter of 2026, up slightly from 65 in the first. Short interest, on the other hand, sits at just 2.4% of float, reflecting minimal bets against the stock in the market.
#horizon #pelacarsen
The result strikes at a premise rather than at a product. Pelacarsenhad lowered Lp(a) by roughly 80% in earlier studies. In Lp(a)HORIZON, Novartis said pelacarsen substantially lowered Lp(a), but it still failed to reduce the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and urgent revascularization. It still could not reduce the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and urgent revascularization. And now the entire hypothesis that lowering Lp(a), a genetic cardiovascular risk factor, actually cuts events, is being directly challenged. Olpasiran is built on the same hypothesis, leading to the repricing of odds as soon as pelacarsen's data were out.
Amgen's olpasiran, an siRNA, lowered Lp(a) by more than 95% at certain doses in Phase 2, compared with reductions of roughly 80% for pelacarsen in earlier studies. The bull case is that this deeper reduction could help olpasiran deliver better cardiovascular outcomes.. The bull case is that this 15% will help Amgen to make a deeper cut and deliver results. While biologically possible, the Lp(a)HORIZON trial provided no evidence that a clinical threshold exists above an 80% reduction. The topline Phase 3 announcement did not establish that deeper Lp(a) lowering would have produced a cardiovascular benefit. It is therefore appropriate to say that the miss lowered olpasiran's probability of success rather than pretending it is irrelevant. Eli Lilly's lepodisiran is running the same deep-reduction experiment, so the hypothesis will be tested with or without Amgen.
Amgen is not an Lp(a) pure-play. MariTide in obesity, Repatha in cholesterol, and Tezspire in asthma drive more value for the company, and this diversification creates a cushion for the stock, although the selloff ultimately became much larger than the initial 5% after-hours reaction. Positioning has stayed calm since the beginning of 2026. Insider Monkey data shows 66 hedge funds held AMGN in the second quarter of 2026, up slightly from 65 in the first. Short interest, on the other hand, sits at just 2.4% of float, reflecting minimal bets against the stock in the market.
#horizon #pelacarsen
3 days ago
Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) disclosed that pelacarsen failed the Phase 3 Lp(a)HORIZON cardiovascular-outcomes trial conducted by Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS). The randomized, double-blind study enrolled 8,323 patients with elevated lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), and established cardiovascular disease.
Pelacarsen lowered Lp(a), but the study did not meet its primary endpoint of reducing cardiovascular events compared with placebo in the overall population. The endpoint combined cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization requiring hospitalization. Complete results have not yet been presented.
Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) provided Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) with $500 million in January 2023. The transaction allocated $150 million to pelacarsen royalties and $350 million to Spinraza royalties. The clinical failure shifts the financial focus from uncertain pelacarsen upside to recovery through Spinraza.
Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) acquired 25% of the Spinraza royalties received by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) through 2027. That share increases to 45% in 2028 on Spinraza annual sales of up to $1.5 billion.
Following the HORIZON result, the Spinraza interest will revert after aggregate payments to Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) reach $550 million, equal to 1.1 times the original funding. Management expects the structure to recover the entire investment and generate a modest positive return despite the clinical failure.
#royalty #pharma #cardiovascular #horizon
Pelacarsen lowered Lp(a), but the study did not meet its primary endpoint of reducing cardiovascular events compared with placebo in the overall population. The endpoint combined cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and urgent coronary revascularization requiring hospitalization. Complete results have not yet been presented.
Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) provided Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) with $500 million in January 2023. The transaction allocated $150 million to pelacarsen royalties and $350 million to Spinraza royalties. The clinical failure shifts the financial focus from uncertain pelacarsen upside to recovery through Spinraza.
Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) acquired 25% of the Spinraza royalties received by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) through 2027. That share increases to 45% in 2028 on Spinraza annual sales of up to $1.5 billion.
Following the HORIZON result, the Spinraza interest will revert after aggregate payments to Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) reach $550 million, equal to 1.1 times the original funding. Management expects the structure to recover the entire investment and generate a modest positive return despite the clinical failure.
#royalty #pharma #cardiovascular #horizon
2 months ago
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) ranks among the top NASDAQ stocks for retirement. On June 16, Mizuho increased its price target for Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) to $303 from $295 while keeping a Neutral rating on the company's shares, with the firm highlighting MariTide and olpasiran as crucial focal points for the company.
Mizuho said that Novartis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals' pelacarsen Phase 3 Lp(a) research is slated to conclude in the early second half of 2026, which might possibly ***** ist Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN).
Mizuho slightly increased its medium-term sales outlook for Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), leading to a minor price target revision. As information from the Novartis and Ionis Phase 3 Lp(a) research becomes available, likely in the first half of 2026, the firm anticipates that market focus will turn toward olpasiran. The olpasiran data is expected to be released at a later time.
Meanwhile, Mizuho noted a potential risk ***** ociated with a tax dispute resolution projected no sooner than the latter half of 2026. The firm stated that it is seeking more details on the IRS tax dispute, which, as per Amgen's 10-Q filing, will not be resolved before the latter half of 2026.
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) is a drug manufacturer that delivers human therapeutics through pharmaceutical wholesale distributors. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in California.
Mizuho said that Novartis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals' pelacarsen Phase 3 Lp(a) research is slated to conclude in the early second half of 2026, which might possibly ***** ist Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN).
Mizuho slightly increased its medium-term sales outlook for Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), leading to a minor price target revision. As information from the Novartis and Ionis Phase 3 Lp(a) research becomes available, likely in the first half of 2026, the firm anticipates that market focus will turn toward olpasiran. The olpasiran data is expected to be released at a later time.
Meanwhile, Mizuho noted a potential risk ***** ociated with a tax dispute resolution projected no sooner than the latter half of 2026. The firm stated that it is seeking more details on the IRS tax dispute, which, as per Amgen's 10-Q filing, will not be resolved before the latter half of 2026.
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) is a drug manufacturer that delivers human therapeutics through pharmaceutical wholesale distributors. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in California.
