Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs
Published . Updated .
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By every measure, the drugs were no better than placebos, full data revealed on Saturday. Was it the fault of the design of the studies, or our very hypotheses about heart disease?
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- XLV Health Care Select Sector SPDR
Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
- XBI SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
SPDR S&P Biotech ETF: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
- LLY Eli Lilly and+14.3% 30d
Eli Lilly and (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
- JNJ Johnson & Johnson+3.3% 30d
Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
- PFE Pfizer+2.3% 30d
Pfizer (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
- MRK Merck+3.4% 30d
Merck (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XLV | -0.10% | +2.63% | base | +1.94% | after close | after close | after close |
| XBI | -0.10% | +4.53% | base | +3.07% | after close | after close | after close |
| LLY | +4.21% | +4.67% | base | +4.25% | after close | after close | after close |
| JNJ | -2.08% | +0.00% | base | +2.09% | after close | after close | after close |
| PFE | +4.51% | +4.78% | base | -0.48% | after close | after close | after close |
| MRK | +1.15% | +2.46% | base | +1.34% | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
By every measure, the drugs were no better than placebos, full data revealed on Saturday. Was it the fault of the design of the studies, or our very hypotheses about heart disease?
Source: The New York Times
How far Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) has moved since 8 Nov 2026
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | that day | +2.09% | final price |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | three days earlier | 0.00% | final price |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | five days earlier | -2.08% | final price |
| Eli Lilly (LLY) | that day | +4.25% | final price |
| Eli Lilly (LLY) | three days earlier | +4.67% | final price |
| Eli Lilly (LLY) | five days earlier | +4.21% | final price |
| Merck (MRK) | that day | +1.34% | final price |
| Merck (MRK) | three days earlier | +2.46% | final price |
| Merck (MRK) | five days earlier | +1.15% | final price |
| Pfizer (PFE) | that day | -0.48% | final price |
| Pfizer (PFE) | three days earlier | +4.78% | final price |
| Pfizer (PFE) | five days earlier | +4.51% | final price |
| Spdr Series Trust (XBI) | that day | +3.07% | final price |
| Spdr Series Trust (XBI) | three days earlier | +4.53% | final price |
| Spdr Series Trust (XBI) | five days earlier | -0.10% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | that day | +1.94% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | three days earlier | +2.63% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | five days earlier | -0.10% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Eli Lilly (LLY) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr sold Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 30 Sep 2026. That is 39 days before publication. Filed 30 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 25 Sep 2026. That is 44 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett bought Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 8 Sep 2026. That is 61 days before publication. Filed 5 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna sold Pfizer (PFE) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Pfizer (PFE), worth $100,001 - $250,000 on 21 Aug 2026. That is 79 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar sold Merck (MRK), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Sep 2026. That is 45 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar bought Merck (MRK), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 19 Aug 2026. That is 81 days before publication. Filed 9 Sep 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who gains and who loses around Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
Companies carried with this story
- XLV Select Sector Spdr Tr
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs.” Reason on file: Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
- XBI Spdr Series Trust
In “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs,” Spdr Series Trust (XBI) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: SPDR S&P Biotech ETF: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
- LLY Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly (LLY) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs.” Reason on file: Eli Lilly and (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
- JNJ Johnson & Johnson
In “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs,” Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
- PFE Pfizer
Pfizer (PFE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs.” Reason on file: Pfizer (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
- MRK Merck
For “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs,” Merck (MRK) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Merck (pharmaceutical preparations): drugmakers move with drug pricing, approvals and health policy. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) is the company in “Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs,” the 8 Nov 2026 this story story.
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) is on the page because Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
Spdr Series Trust (XBI) is here too. Its reason reads: SPDR S&P Biotech ETF: it holds drugmakers and health companies. Linked by “drugs” (pharma and health) in this story
The price range for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV), and the dates in the story
LLY traded between 1158.27 and 1452.66 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 1354.96.
What the saved facts support for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
46 out of 100
“Doctors Absorb the Stunning Failure of Two High-Profile Heart Drugs” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 6 linked companies.