Novartis wants to deepen the innovation game in India & more related News Here

New Delhi: Swiss pharma major Novartis is sharpening its strategy in India as a net-innovator in core therapy areas including cardiovascular, oncology and immunology, after selling its stake in its listed arm earlier this year.Notably, India is increasingly contributing to almost every molecule commercialized globally by Novartis, and is moving up the value chain with early scientific discovery – Phase I studies, starting to take shape in the country, Amitabh Dubey, president and MD, Novartis India, told TOI.In February, Novartis announced the sale of its 71% stake in its listed subsidiary, Novartis India, as part of a strategic review, effectively selling off its legacy portfolio for about Rs 1,446 crore to a group of private equity investors led by ChrisCapital. It retained its unlisted commercial arm, Novartis Healthcare, to run its innovative medicines business in the country.

Typically, India largely serves as a development hub for multinationals handling Phase II and III trials, while early-stage research or innovation-intensive segments remain concentrated in developed markets.Dubey, in his first interview after the review, said Novartis recently started Phase I clinical research in Ahmedabad and will continue final Phase II and III programs in its core therapeutic areas.Some of these global treatments, in which India played a leading role, include Cortem Baby, the first anti-malaria treatment developed for infants, the cardiovascular therapy inclisiran (Cybrava), and the targeted radioactive therapy lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetane (Pluvicto) for prostate cancer.Novartis operates one of its three global development centers in India (Hyderabad and Mumbai), along with one in Basel (Switzerland) and the US. For example, the India Development Hub contributed to Cortem Baby in four key areas – supporting clinical operations, pharmaceutical development, regulatory submissions and safety oversight.Dubey said, “Our philosophy has been to transform into a purely innovative medicines company. It would not be appropriate to maintain these (legacy) brands without the right investment and focus. Our commitment to India is strong – we have over 9,000 employees, we launched two new molecules last year and plan to launch one more this year and two next year.”