AstraZeneca stock drops 9% after heart drug trial miss deals rare blow to pharma powerhouse

Shares of AstraZeneca fell as much as 9% after a late-stage clinical trial for a heart disease drug failed to meet its target, with analysts saying the bigger issue may be investors’ trust in the company rather than the loss of a few extra billion in sales.

Wainua – a medicine AstraZeneca had been testing on whether it could help patients with a rare heart condition – did not reach its main goal of reducing deaths and recurrent heart-related emergencies over 140 weeks compared to a placebo, the British drugmaker said in a press release early Thursday.

It examined how the medicine could help patients with a rare, life-threatening heart condition called transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR cardiomyopathy, when added to a patient’s current treatment plan

Jefferies analysts said the result didn’t jeopardise the company’s $80 billion sales target by 2030 but noted that AstraZeneca “had been very confident around the primary endpoint and the ability to hit in combination use.”

“The bigger issue is probably a degree of credibility loss with management being very confident in the trial’s ability to hit the primary endpoint as well as an ability to show utility on top of background therapy,” the analysts said, modeling for $2.5 billion less in risk-adjusted sales for the medicine.

Under CEO Pascal Soriot’s leadership over the past 14 years, AstraZeneca has developed a reputation as a steadfast powerhouse, especially in oncology. It rarely posts negative trial results, and Thursday’s surprise disappointment may have ripple effects beyond the medicine itself.

A rare miss

AstraZeneca confirmed that its existing license for Wainua was unaffected by these trial results. The drug is already approved for treating conditions where misfolded proteins build up, causing nerve damage. It is sold in Europe as Wainzua.

This study examined a specific type of the condition in which misfolded proteins accumulate in the heart muscle, stiffening it and making it difficult to pump blood, and eventually leading to heart failure. It’s estimated that about half a million people live with the condition.