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ZEUS - A Research Study to Look at How Ziltivekimab Works Compared to Placebo in People With Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammation

ZEUS - Effects of Ziltivekimab Versus Placebo on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Participants With Established Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease and Systemic Inflammation

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05021835
Acronym
ZEUS
Enrollment
6385
Registered
2021-08-26
Start date
2021-08-30
Completion date
2026-06-09
Last updated
2026-07-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular Risk, Chronic Kidney Disease, Inflammation

Brief summary

This study is conducted to see if ziltivekimab reduces the risk of having cardiovascular events (for example heart attack and stroke) in people with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and inflammation. Participants will either get ziltivekimab (active medicine) or placebo (a dummy medicine which has no effect on the body). This is known as the study medicine. Which treatment participants get is decided by chance. Participants chance of getting ziltivekimab or placebo is the same. Ziltivekimab is not yet approved in any country or region in the world. It is a new medicine doctors cannot prescribe. Participants will get the study medicine in a pre filled syringe. Participants will need to use the pre filled syringe to inject the study medicine into a skinfold once-monthly. The study is expected to last for up to 4 years. Participants will have up to 20 clinic visits. Participants will have blood and urine samples taken at most of the clinic visits. Participants will have their heart examined using sound waves (echocardiography) and electrodes (electrocardiogram). Women cannot take part if pregnant, breast-feeding or planning to get pregnant during the study period.

Interventions

Administered subcutaneously (s.c., under skin) once-monthly added to standard of care.

Administered subcutaneously (s.c., under skin) once-monthly added to standard of care.

DRUGPlacebo (Ziltivekimab B)

Administered subcutaneously (s.c., under skin) once-monthly added to standard of care.

Administered subcutaneously (s.c., under skin) once-monthly added to standard of care.

Sponsors

Novo Nordisk A/S
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Chronic kidney disease defined by one of the below: 1. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) greater than or equal to (\>=) 15 and below 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 (using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) creatinine equation) 2. Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) \>= 200 milligrams per gram (mg/g) and eGFR \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (using the CKD-EPI creatinine equation) * Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) greater than or equal to 2 milligram per liter (mg/L) * Evidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) by one or more of the following: a) Coronary heart disease defined as at least one of the following: i. Documented history of MI ii. Prior coronary revascularisation procedure iii. greater than or equal to 50% stenosis in major epicardial coronary artery documented by cardiac catheterisation or CT coronary angiography b) Cerebrovascular disease defined as at least one of the following: i. Prior stroke of atherosclerotic origin ii. Prior carotid artery revascularisation procedure iii. greater than or equal to 50% stenosis in carotid artery documented by X-ray angiography, MR angiography, CT angiography or Doppler ultrasound. c) Symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) defined as at least one of the following: i. Intermittent claudication with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) below or equal to 0.90 at rest ii. Intermittent claudication with a greater than or equal to 50% stenosis in peripheral artery (excluding carotid) documented by X-ray angiography, MR angiography, CT angiography or Doppler ultrasound iii. Prior peripheral artery (excluding carotid) revascularisation procedure iv. Lower extremity amputation at or above ankle due to atherosclerotic disease (excluding e.g. trauma or osteomyelitis).

Exclusion criteria

* Clinical evidence of, or suspicion of, active infection at the discretion of the investigator. * Myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalisation for unstable angina pectoris, or transient ischaemic attack within 60 days prior to randomisation (visit 2). * Planned coronary, carotid or peripheral artery revascularisation known on the day of randomisation (visit 2). * Major cardiac surgical, non-cardiac surgical, or major endoscopic procedure (thoracoscopic or laparoscopic) within the past 60 days prior to randomisation (visit 2) or any major surgical procedure planned at the time of randomisation (visit 2).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to first occurrence of 3-point Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event (MACE), a composite endpoint consisting of: Cardiovascular (CV) death, non-fatal Myocardial Infarction (MI) and non-fatal strokeFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months)Months

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to first occurrence of expanded MACE, a composite endpoint consisting of: CV death, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke and hospitalisation for unstable angina pectoris requiring urgent coronary revascularisationFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months)Months
Number of heart failure hospitalisations or urgent heart failure visits or CV deathsFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months)Count
Time to first occurrence of a composite kidney endpoint consisting of: CV death, onset of persistent atleast 40 percent (%) reduction in eGFR (CKD-epidemiology collaboration [CKD-EPI]) compared with baseline, kidney failureFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months)Months
Time to occurrence of all-cause mortalityFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months)Months
Time to first occurrence of each of the individual components of the expanded MACE endpoint and the kidney composite endpoint.From randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Time to first occurrence of MI (fatal and non-fatal).From randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Time to first occurrence of stroke (fatal and non-fatal).From randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Time to first occurrence of a composite MACE endpoint consisting of: all-cause mortality, non-fatal MI and non-fatal strokeFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Time to first occurrence of a 4-component kidney endpoint consisting of: onset of persistent at least 40% reduction in eGFR (CKD-EPI) compared with baseline, kidney failureFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Time to first occurrence of coronary revascularisationFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Months
Change in Urinary Abumin-to-Ceatinine ratio (UACR).From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months).Percentage
Change in eGFR (CKD-EPI))From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months)mL/min/1.73 m\^2
Annual rate of change in eGFR (CKD-EPI) (total eGFR slope)From randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).mL/min/1.73 m\^2/ year
Change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 monthsPercentage
Change in N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide ( NT-pro-BNP)From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months)Percentage
Change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months)Percentage
Number of events of atrial fibrillationFrom randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Count
Change in haemoglobinFrom randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months)Grams per deciliter (g/dL)
Number of hospitalisations with infection as primary cause or death due to infection.From randomisation (month 0) to end-of-study (up to 48 months).Count
Change in Short Form 36 (SF-36) Physical Component Score (PCS)From randomisation (month 0) to 2 years (24 months)Score on scale

Countries

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey (Türkiye), Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Contacts

STUDY_DIRECTORClinical Transparency (dept. 2834)

Novo Nordisk A/S

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 29, 2026