Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced on Wednesday that its experimental treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, failed to achieve its goals in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The trial did not meet either its primary or secondary endpoints, marking a significant setback in the search for effective therapies for ALS, the condition that affected notable figures such as Lou Gehrig and Stephen Hawking.

Novartis did not provide detailed results of the study but confirmed that the investigational therapy did not demonstrate sufficient efficacy to justify further development at this stage. The company’s decision to discontinue the program adds to a series of recent disappointments in its research pipeline.

Earlier this month, Novartis also reported unsuccessful outcomes for two other experimental drugs: a neuromuscular treatment and pelacarsen, a cholesterol-lowering agent aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk. These developments suggest challenges in advancing novel treatments across multiple therapeutic areas simultaneously.

ALS is a rare but devastating disorder that gradually leads to muscle weakness, loss of motor function, and ultimately respiratory failure. Despite extensive research efforts, effective treatments remain limited, with new drug candidates frequently facing hurdles during clinical evaluation.

Novartis’ recent failures underscore the difficulty of developing therapies for complex neurological diseases and highlight the ongoing need for innovation in this field. The company has not disclosed its next steps regarding ALS research but may focus resources on other projects within its portfolio.