Updated

Novartis reported a setback in its cholesterol-lowering drug program targeting Lp(a) levels, raising doubts over the multibillion-dollar race to prove that lowering Lp(a) can reduce heart attacks and strokes. The failure raises the stakes for rivals Amgen and Eli Lilly, who are also competing in this space, while investors also weigh Novartis's separate multiple sclerosis drug opportunity, which carries its own risks.