Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current ​health news briefs.

J&J's once-daily ​pill eases psoriatic ‌arthritis symptoms ​in late-stage trial

Johnson & Johnson said on Saturday its once-daily pill eased symptoms in more ‌patients with psoriatic arthritis than a placebo in a late-stage trial, potentially supporting expanded use of the drug. The company said 58% of ‌patients who took icotrokinra, branded as Icotyde, saw a ‌20% improvement in tender and swollen joint counts, as well as improvements in other measures of disease activity after 16 weeks. That compared with 41% ⁠who received ​a placebo ⁠in the 552-patient trial.

Trial failures of Novartis, Novo Nordisk heart drugs ⁠leave experts guessing

An experimental Novartis drug designed to treat a genetic cause ​of heart disease failed to reduce deaths and non-fatal heart ⁠attacks, dashing hopes for the first of several such drugs in clinical trials. Despite ⁠a ​78% reduction of the blood particle commonly known as Lp(a), a monthly dose of the Novartis drug, pelacarsen, over ⁠nearly five years had no effect in preventing a second heart ⁠attack, or ⁠reducing the risk of stroke or need for emergency procedures to unblock clogged arteries in the ‌trial ‌of more than 8,300 patients, ​according to detailed results.