Novartis deal on the rocks, page-9

You lot do realise that the limited amount of information released yesterday points to a reduction in mortality of some were between 30 and 40 odd %.
Indeed if the required survival benefit was set at a level more in line with the USA emergency use criteria we would have been stopped at 30% enrollment for overwhelming efficacy.
The DSMB has recommended that this trial stop, not because the results show a poor survival benefit but because the trial design prevents the projections from meeting thire primary end point.
I may have missed some discussion yesterday however a point that has not been widely discussed and should be.

HAS THE DSMB STOPPED THE TRIAL TO FAST TRACK EMERGENCY USE?
YES. If not that could be the final outcome.

WHY
In normal times the DSMC would have recommended a alteration to the enrollment to address the issues that they have seen develope over time. This could have been as easy as including none ventilated patients on high flow oxygen.
They did not make this recommendation because the data is sufficient for EU and that is what the US government funding was to be used for and the US is in desperate need of a therapy that works.

Now tell me why Novartis would want to dump the deal?