Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, markets, and sells pharmaceutical medicines in Switzerland and internationally. Its products include Entresto, Cosentyx, Kisqali, Promacta/Revolade, Tafinlar+Mekinist, Jakavi, Tasigna, Xolair, Ilaris, Pluvicto, Sandostatin SC and Sandostatin LAR, Zolgensma, Lucentis, Leqvio, Lutathera, Scemblix, and Fabhalta. The company focuses on therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, oncology, and hematology. It has a license and collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Leqvio (inclisiran), a therapy to reduce LDL cholesterol. Novartis AG was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
Novartis Acquires Full Rights to Sironax Brain Delivery Platform
Novartis agreed to acquire full rights to Sironax's proprietary brain delivery platform for neurological disease treatments. The deal gives Novartis control of Sironax's technology designed to transport therapeutics across the blood brain barrier, expanding its toolkit for research into central nervous system disorders where treatment options remain limited. Novartis is a large pharmaceuticals group with a CHF218.8 billion market cap that researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, markets, and sells medicines globally, so gaining access to differentiated delivery technology directly links into its existing focus on complex neurological treatments. The Sironax platform speaks to the same advanced-therapy thesis that underpins Cosentyx's CHMP progress and remibrutinib's Phase 3 data, as Novartis seeks to own hard-to-reach biology where rivals like Roche and Biogen also compete for neurologists' attention. The flip side is that every new modality adds complexity, and recent trial setbacks such as pelacarsen and del-desiran keep development risk front and center, with analysts flagging that stacking capital-intensive projects on top of share buybacks could stretch the balance sheet of a business already carrying a high level of debt.
Novartis wins positive CHMP opinion for Cosentyx in polymyalgia rheumatica
Novartis announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization for Cosentyx, also known as secukinumab, in polymyalgia rheumatica. The opinion supports use in adults who have had an inadequate response to steroids or who relapse during steroid taper, and if approved, Cosentyx would be the first interleukin-17A inhibitor licensed in Europe for the disease. The recommendation rests on the pivotal REPLENISH Phase III trial, in which all primary and secondary endpoints were met across both the Cosentyx 300mg and 150mg arms, including complete sustained remission and time until patients needed additional treatment through week 52, with no new safety signals identified. Those data were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 2026 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology Congress on June 3, 2026. The European Commission is expected to issue a final decision within approximately two months.
Novartis Shares Plunge 10% as Del-desiran Fails Late-Stage Trial
Novartis shares fell about 10% after the company said its experimental drug del-desiran failed to meet its primary goal in a late-stage trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1, marking its third clinical setback in a week. The earlier failures involved the cardiovascular drug pelacarsen and a pause of eight trials of the cell therapy rap-cel following three patient deaths. The decline erased roughly 24 billion Swiss francs, or about $29.6 billion, in market value and put Novartis on pace for one of its worst trading days in company history. Barclays had estimated peak annual sales of about $3.1 billion for del-desiran and assigned the drug a 60% probability of success after positive mid-stage results, and the failure raises questions about the $12 billion Avidity acquisition that brought the drug into Novartis' pipeline. Management reaffirmed its full-year financial guidance and maintained its target for 5% to 6% compound annual sales growth from 2025 through 2030, while the company reported successful late-stage results for remibrutinib in multiple sclerosis and expects more data later this year.
Novartis and Ionis Lp(a) Drug Pelacarsen Fails Late-Stage Cardiovascular Trial
Pelacarsen, an experimental Lp(a)-lowering drug from Novartis AG and partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., failed to reduce heart attacks, strokes and related cardiovascular events in the Phase III Lp(a)HORIZON trial, which enrolled more than 8,000 patients, Reuters reported on September 5, 2026. The drug did lower Lp(a) levels as expected, but that reduction did not translate into fewer real-world cardiac events. Novartis shares fell 5% and Ionis shares fell 12% in aftermarket trading. Novartis called the results a disappointment but said they still advance scientific understanding of the Lp(a) pathway. The failure removes a major potential growth driver for both companies and raises the burden of proof for other Lp(a) drugs, with Novartis now under greater pressure to replace revenue as Entresto and other products approach patent challenges. Ionis faces greater concentration risk because pelacarsen mattered more to the smaller company, though its broader RNA portfolio and newly approved Zanvastro for Alexander disease provide some diversification.
Novartis Halts Development of ALS Drug Rifonebart After Mid-Stage Trial Misses Primary Endpoint
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has discontinued development of its candidate ALS treatment VHB937, also known as rifonebart, after a mid-stage clinical trial failed to achieve its primary endpoint. Endpoints News and Bloomberg News reported the news early on the 16th, and Novartis later confirmed the reports in an email to Reuters. Rifonebart failed to meet both its primary and secondary endpoints in the mid-stage trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of the drug in 251 patients with early-stage ALS within two years of symptom onset. The drug is designed to stabilize TREM2, a protein that helps regulate immune responses, inflammation, and the clearance of waste products in the brain. The decision to halt development follows the failure of a trial for a muscle-wasting disease treatment announced last week, in addition to setbacks with a closely watched heart disease treatment, and the company's move this month to pause eight of ten trials of its experimental cell therapy rap-cel after three patient deaths, heightening investor scrutiny of Novartis's development pipeline. Novartis is also pursuing research into the drug in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and according to a clinical trial registry, a mid-stage trial in Alzheimer's is still recruiting participants.
Wall Street Ends Week Lower as Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo
Wall Street closed the week lower as investors weighed a sharp rise in Treasury yields and fresh inflation data, with the benchmark 10-year yield climbing nearly 20 bps to 4.97% and CPI rising 0.4% month over month in August, in line with estimates and up from July's 0.1% gain. For the week, the blue-chip Dow fell 1.57%, the S&P 500 lost 0.80%, and the Nasdaq Composite handed back 0.66%. Apple formally unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, at its Sept. 9 product event, with a foldable display starting at $1,999 and availability scheduled for Oct. 23. Novartis shares fell about 14% on Tuesday after the company reported that del-desiran, an experimental drug designed to fight muscle-wasting disease, failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage trial. Oracle shares jumped after the IT giant reported fiscal first-quarter results and guidance that beat Wall Street estimates, with revenue up 30% year over year and cloud revenue climbing 62% to $11.6B, driven largely by a 121% surge in infrastructure revenue. Quantum computing stocks Rigetti Computing, Quantum Computing, and Quantinuum rallied on Tuesday following a combined $300M CHIPS Act funding commitment from the U.S. Department of Commerce, under which the government will receive minority equity stakes in Rigetti and D-Wave.
UnitedHealth sells Optum Florida stake to TPG as CooperCompanies cuts guidance and Amgen slides
UnitedHealth has sold an interest in some of its Optum Health operations in Florida to private equity firm TPG, part of the health conglomerate's effort to recover from a collapse in profits last year. CFO Wayne DeVeydt told Bloomberg News that Optum Health margins will be around 2% this year, above prior expectations, and should rise to around 4% in 2027 and 6% the following year. Amgen fell more than 8%, its worst single-day decline since 2016, after Novartis announced a Phase 3 trial failure for the heart disease therapy pelacarsen, which it is developing with Ionis Pharmaceuticals; BMO Capital Markets downgraded Amgen to Market Perform from Market Outperform with a $450 price target. CooperCompanies dropped 13% after issuing fiscal 2026 guidance below consensus, with revenue of $4.229B-$4.252B versus the prior $4.285B-$4.321B and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $4.51-$4.55 versus $4.58-$4.66 previously, and said its board decided to keep CooperSurgical rather than sell it while raising its share buyback authorization to $3B from $2B. Novo Nordisk fell more than 1% premarket after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal-weight, citing the semaglutide patent cliff, and the S&P 500 Health Care Sector Index slipped more than 3.5% for the week.
Novartis Doses First Patient in Phase 2 Sjögren's Trial, Triggering $50M Payment to Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa Therapeutics announced on September 8 that partner Novartis has dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 trial of the VAV1-targeted drug MRT-6160, also known as DDY391, in people with Sjögren's disease, triggering a $50 million milestone payment to Monte Rosa and marking the first step in a collaboration that could eventually be worth up to $2.1 billion. Novartis is footing the entire bill for the study, which will track participants for as long as a year of treatment and compare the drug against placebo across multiple sites to select the right dose before a Phase 3 program begins, and Monte Rosa stands to collect further payments each time a new Phase 2 study opens for MRT-6160 in other immune conditions. In an earlier Phase 1 trial, the molecule knocked down VAV1 protein levels by over 90% in patients' T cells and calmed key markers of inflammation without triggering any serious side effects. Monte Rosa also reported on August 6 that enrollment and dosing had wrapped up in its GFORCE-1 study of MRT-8102 in people with elevated cardiovascular risk, with results due later in 2026, and that its MODeFIRe-1 study pairing MRT-2359 with the prostate cancer drug apalutamide is up and running, backed by $626 million in cash, equivalents, and marketable securities as of June 30 that management says can fund operations into 2029. The progress has come at a cost: collaboration revenue fell to $9.0 million in the second quarter of 2026 from $23.2 million a year earlier, research spending rose to $48.0 million from $30.7 million, administrative costs climbed to $10.1 million from $8.1 million, and the quarterly net loss ballooned to $43.4 million, more than triple the $12.3 million loss in the same period of 2025. Hedge fund ownership edged up to 36 funds from 35, while 21.52% of the float is sold short, an unusual pairing that suggests the market has not settled on whether the milestone cash flow outweighs the widening losses.
Amgen Shares Plunge 10% After Novartis Cardiovascular Trial Failure
Amgen Inc. shares fell $44.06, or 10.08%, to close at $393.17 on September 8, the stock's worst one-day decline since October 2000, after Novartis reported disappointing cardiovascular trial results for a rival drug. Amgen is developing olpasiran, an investigational treatment designed to reduce lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), a genetically influenced blood particle associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and its Phase 3 OCEAN(a)-Outcomes trial is evaluating whether olpasiran reduces coronary heart disease death, heart attack or urgent coronary revascularization in patients with established cardiovascular disease and elevated Lp(a). Novartis' pelacarsen reduced Lp(a) but failed to reduce cardiovascular events in its Phase 3 trial, and Reuters reported that olpasiran produced greater Lp(a) reductions in earlier studies and is being tested in more targeted patient groups, with Amgen's Phase 3 data expected in 2028. BMO Capital analyst Evan Seigerman downgraded Amgen to Market Perform from Outperform on September 8 while maintaining a $450 price target, and Citi analyst Geoff Meacham said olpasiran faced the clearest risk from the Novartis result while noting that differences in study design could offer some differentiation. On August 31, Amgen reported that a prespecified VESALIUS-CV analysis found Repatha reduced the risk of death by 20% in more than 12,000 high-risk patients without a prior heart attack or stroke, and Repatha sales rose 37% year over year to $953 million in the second quarter, when total revenue increased 10% to $10.1 billion and the company maintained 2026 revenue guidance of $38.2 billion to $39.4 billion.
Olema Falls After AstraZeneca's Etcamah Fails Late-Stage Breast Cancer Trial
Olema Pharmaceuticals shares dropped about 15% in after-hours trading Friday after AstraZeneca disclosed that its SERD and CERAN, Etcamah (camizestrant), failed as a first-line breast cancer treatment. Olema is developing its own estrogen receptor antagonist and selective estrogen receptor degrader, palazestrant. Palazestrant is in phase 3 development in a collaboration with Novartis as a first-line treatment in combination with the CDK 4/6 inhibitor Kisqali (ribociclib) for metastatic breast cancer, and it is also in phase 3 as a second- and third-line monotherapy.
Novartis Faces Boardroom Pressure After $30 Billion Deal Spree
Novartis is facing sharper questions over its dealmaking strategy after clinical setbacks weakened confidence in recent acquisitions, with Artisan Partners demanding stronger board oversight of acquisitions following the failure of del-desiran, which undermined a central argument for the $12 billion purchase of Avidity. CEO Vas Narasimhan has deployed more than $30 billion into acquisitions and partnerships over the past three years, according to Reuters, and Novartis insists its guidance remains intact and says other medicines acquired through the transaction still have meaningful potential. The balance sheet shows why investors are watching closely: Novartis produced $8.9 billion in first-half free cash flow, while acquisitions and intangible-asset transactions consumed $15.3 billion, roughly 1.7 times that cash generation. Adding $9.1 billion of dividends and $3.1 billion of treasury-share outflows brings the cited cash demands to $27.5 billion, and net debt consequently surged from $21.9 billion to $39.4 billion, leaving less room for expensive mistakes and raising pressure on management to turn purchased science into commercial wins. Its U.S.-listed shares traded at $137.58, yet remained roughly 14% lower across five sessions, and the stock trades 5.36% above its $130.58 GF Value.
Novartis' del-desiran and pelacarsen trial failures hit pipeline
Novartis AG suffered a major setback after its experimental drug del-desiran failed a late-stage trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1, a rare muscle-wasting disease with no approved treatments, missing statistical significance over placebo on the primary endpoint of video hand opening time. The failure came just days after Novartis' cholesterol drug pelacarsen also failed a major late-stage study, and del-desiran was one of the key assets acquired through Novartis' $12 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences, where Barclays analysts had estimated peak annual sales of about $3.1 billion and assigned it a 60% probability of success. The two failures increase pressure on CEO Vas Narasimhan as Novartis seeks to replace revenue from established medicines such as Entresto ahead of future patent expirations, though the company reaffirmed its target of 5%-6% annual sales growth through 2030. Attention now falls on remibrutinib, which recently succeeded in a late-stage multiple-sclerosis study, with additional data in another indication expected later this year and analysts seeing it as potentially capable of generating billions of dollars in peak annual sales. Novartis is evaluating the full del-desiran dataset and plans to engage with regulators, leaving some possibility the program could have a future depending on the underlying data and trial interpretation.
Novartis' experimental medicine pelacarsen failed the Phase 3 Lp(a)HORIZON study, lowering lipoprotein(a) but not producing a statistically significant reduction in cardiovascular events. Bank of America estimates the miss creates only low-single-digit percentage downside to its net-present-value calculation for Novartis and maintained its Buy rating and $185 price target, with attention shifting to four other Phase 3 readouts expected in the second half of 2026. Novartis reported 39 Phase 3 projects and three programs in registration in its second-quarter presentation, and second-quarter 2026 sales reached $14.41 billion, up 3% on a reported basis and 1% in constant currencies, with management reaffirming low-single-digit constant-currency sales growth for the year. Citi analyst Eric Joseph expects less than 5% immediate downside for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which discovered pelacarsen and licensed it to Novartis in 2019, saying the result should not affect Ionis' fiscal 2026 guidance and maintaining a Buy rating and $100 price target. Novartis' first-half net income declined 16% on a reported basis while core operating income fell 6%.
Novartis's Remibrutinib Beats Sanofi's Aubagio in Two Late-Stage MS Trials
Novartis's oral drug remibrutinib outperformed Sanofi's older multiple-sclerosis treatment teriflunomide in reducing relapses across two late-stage studies, REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2, marking the first major success from three closely watched pipeline programs expected to produce clinical data in 2026. Novartis said remibrutinib also showed clinically meaningful results in slowing disability progression and was well tolerated with no liver-safety issues, a key point for a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, a class that has previously faced regulatory problems over liver toxicity. UBS analyst Matt Weston called it potentially a best-in-class oral treatment. Novartis plans to submit remibrutinib for global regulatory approval and will present full results at a medical conference in Toronto; the drug is already approved for one chronic inflammatory skin condition involving severe hives, sold as Rhapsido, which generated $64 million in second-quarter sales. Analysts estimate remibrutinib could generate as much as $9 billion in peak annual sales across all indications, though that figure assumes successful development and approvals in multiple sclerosis, additional skin disease, and food allergies, and two patients died during the studies, which analysts said were unrelated to treatment but still intend to examine in the detailed safety data. Remibrutinib is the first of three programs, alongside pelacarsen and del-desiran, collectively seen generating more than $10 billion in peak annual sales as Novartis faces generic pressure on its blockbuster heart-failure medicine Entresto.
Novartis Rebounds as Artisan Partners Seeks Tougher Board Oversight After $30 Billion Wipeout
Novartis shares rebounded 0.8% to $138.545 Thursday as Artisan Partners' David Samra pushed the Swiss pharmaceutical group to strengthen its acquisition review process and establish a dedicated board committee to challenge major transactions before billions of dollars are committed. The pressure followed two clinical disappointments that helped trigger a record one-day stock plunge of more than 10%, wiping out nearly $30 billion in market value. Del-desiran, obtained through the $12 billion Avidity acquisition, missed its late-stage trial goal, and Samra also questioned compensation measures that exclude writedowns, though he praised CEO Vas Narasimhan's handling of the underlying business. Novartis stood by its guidance, pipeline and approach to capital allocation. The $12 billion Avidity purchase equals roughly 2.2 times Novartis's latest quarterly free cash flow and about 83% of quarterly revenue, while the $138.545 share price sits 5.81% above the $130.94 GF Value estimate.
Macy's raises guidance, Meta upgraded, Novartis board overhaul urged in premarket moves
Macy's reported a second-quarter revenue beat and raised its full-year guidance for net sales, comparable sales and earnings per share, though it was unclear whether its quarterly EPS of 40 cents was comparable to the 37 cent LSEG consensus estimate, and shares slipped 1.6%. Meta Platforms added 1.4% after an upgrade at JPMorgan, which sees meaningful upside potential as Meta rolls out its artificial intelligence models and products, while Apple rose 1% a day after unveiling its foldable iPhone and other products. Novartis rose nearly 2% after Reuters reported a major shareholder called for an overhaul of the drugmaker's board to boost corporate governance, following three drug trial setbacks earlier this week. AeroVironment jumped more than 5% after first-quarter adjusted earnings of 59 cents per share and revenue of $480 million trounced LSEG estimates of 25 cents a share on $456 million, while American Eagle Outfitters fell more than 15% on a 1% second-quarter comparable sales decline and current-quarter operating income guidance of $110 million to $115 million, below the $124.3 million StreetAccount consensus. Enbridge slid nearly 3% after announcing it would acquire Tallgrass Energy's crude transportation business for $2.55 billion, and Kinetik moved 4.6% higher following a Bloomberg News report that it is exploring options, including a potential sale.
Achondroplasia Market to Reach $600M in 2025, Growing 11% CAGR to 2036
The achondroplasia market across the seven major markets—the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan—was valued at approximately USD 600 million in 2025 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 11% from 2026 to 2036, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. The diagnosed prevalent population in these markets was estimated at approximately 28,500 cases in 2025, with the United States representing the largest patient population and commercial market at approximately 14,500 cases. The treatment landscape is shifting toward targeted therapies, with approved drugs VOXZOGO (vosoritide) and YUVIWEL (navepegritide; TransCon CNP) leading the way, while emerging pipeline candidates include infigratinib (BBP-831/BGJ398) from QED Therapeutics, a BridgeBio company, in collaboration with Novartis and Kyowa Kirin, RBM-007 (umedaptanib pegol) from RIBOMIC, and BMN 333 from BioMarin Pharmaceutical. Recent developments include RIBOMIC's Phase II summary and Phase III application in Japan, BridgeBio's positive Phase III PROPEL 3 results for infigratinib, and BioMarin's Phase I data for BMN 333. The report highlights opportunities in earlier genetic diagnosis, targeted FGFR3 therapies, and long-acting CNP analogs, while noting unmet needs such as limited treatment options across age groups and high treatment costs.
Biopharma stocks are dominating unusual options volume after Novartis AG's Phase 3 HORIZON trial failure for its cardiovascular drug pelacarsen, which did not reduce major cardiovascular events. Novartis shares plunged 13.4% to $138.63, heading for their worst day on record, with options volume at four times the usual intraday amount and puts outpacing calls. The failure also hit Amgen Inc, down 9.4% at $396.33, as its own Lp(a)-lowering drug olpasiran faces similar risks; Amgen received a downgrade from BMO and saw options volume at 2.3 times the norm. NewAmsterdam Pharma Company NV fell 1.6% to $25.00, near 52-week lows, but analysts at Stifel and H.C. Wainwright reiterated buy ratings, noting nuanced implications for its PREVAIL trial; its options volume spiked to 38 times the usual amount.
Novartis and Boston Scientific Slide, Intel Prices Rise
Novartis shares fell after its third clinical-trial setback in a week, as a treatment for a rare muscle-wasting disease failed a late-stage study. Boston Scientific also declined, saying a cybersecurity incident has disrupted product shipments and will cause it to miss its sales growth and earnings estimates for the year. Meanwhile, Intel rose on a report that it may raise computer chip prices next month.
Roivant Sciences Surges 24% on Positive Trial Results
Roivant Sciences shares rallied 24% after the pharma company reported positive Phase 2 trial results for its subsidiary Pulmovant's mosliciguat, which showed a clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with pulmonary hypertension and interstitial lung disease. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin edged up 0.7% after UBS upgraded the stock to buy, citing underappreciated earnings growth potential. Novartis tumbled 12% after its del-desiran drug failed to show significant improvement in a Phase 3 trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1. Peloton Interactive slid more than 4% following a Morgan Stanley downgrade to underweight, citing structural headwinds in fitness. Boston Scientific slipped over 2% after warning that a recent cyberattack likely impacted its 2026 sales and profit targets. Bloom Energy rose over 6% as it prepares to join the S&P 500 on Sept. 21, having gained about 190% this year on the AI data center buildout.
Novartis shares plunge 13% after muscle drug trial fails
Novartis shares fell 13% in premarket trading on Tuesday after its late-stage trial for the muscle-wasting drug del-desiran failed to meet primary endpoints, marking the company's third drug trial setback in a week and putting the stock on track for its worst trading day ever. The failure also dragged down other biotech stocks, with Dyne Therapeutics falling about 30%, Sarepta Therapeutics dropping 16%, and NewAmsterdam Pharma down 12%, as concerns spread across the sector. Novartis said its global phase III HARBOR study, testing del-desiran in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1, did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement versus placebo on measurements of hand opening time. The company is evaluating the full dataset and will engage with health authorities to determine the next steps. Del-desiran is one of three antibody oligonucleotide conjugate therapies added to Novartis's neuromuscular pipeline through its roughly $12 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences last year. Despite the setback, Novartis maintains its 5-6% five-year sales CAGR guidance for 2025-2030.
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk said on Thursday it had prematurely halted two additional clinical trials of its experimental cardiovascular drug ziltivekimab in heart failure patients, a further setback for the company's efforts to diversify beyond its flagship obesity and diabetes treatments. In July, the company announced that ziltivekimab failed to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including death, non-fatal heart attacks, and non-fatal strokes, compared with placebo. A spokesperson said the trials were stopped after an independent data monitoring committee determined that neither trial was "unlikely" to produce results different from the earlier failed study. Meanwhile, another trial of ziltivekimab in patients recovering from heart attacks will continue as planned, with results expected in the first half of 2027. Swiss rival Novartis also failed to reduce the risk of death, heart attacks, and strokes with its cardiovascular drug in late-stage trials. This has raised new questions about the hypothesis underlying the development of both drugs, that inflammation drives cardiovascular disease.
Amgen's Heart Drug Faces Higher Bar After Novartis Trial Miss
Amgen's experimental heart drug olpasiran now faces a higher bar after a rival trial failed to show cardiovascular benefit. Novartis's pelacarsen successfully lowered lipoprotein(a) but did not reduce major cardiovascular events in a Phase 3 trial, according to Reuters. Amgen's OCEAN(a) outcomes study has enrolled 7,297 participants and is tracking heart-related deaths, heart attacks, and urgent coronary procedures over about five years. While olpasiran uses a different design and targets a different patient population, the rival's failure removes easy assumptions about the commercial value of Lp(a) reductions. Amgen's shares stood at $437.23, 19.54% above its GF Value estimate of $365.76, leaving less room for disappointment. The company reported $10.1 billion in second-quarter revenue and $3.5 billion in free cash flow, but the market now demands that olpasiran prove it prevents cardiovascular events, not just lowers a biomarker.
Novartis Faces $3 Billion MS Opportunity and Key Risks
Novartis AG could be staring at a $3 billion annual peak-sales opportunity in multiple sclerosis if its drug remibrutinib successfully advances through the regulatory process and gains meaningful market share. Bank of America estimates that remibrutinib could generate about $3 billion in peak annual sales in multiple sclerosis alone and potentially more than $10 billion across all indications. The comments follow encouraging results from the REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 Phase 3 trials announced on September 2, which showed that remibrutinib reduced relapse activity and met primary endpoints in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. The global MS therapeutics market is expected to grow at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate to approximately $38.6 billion by 2030, and Novartis already has a major presence through Kesimpta, which generated approximately $1.42 billion in second-quarter sales, up 32% year over year. However, risks include potential slowdown in Kesimpta growth, competition from Roche's BTK inhibitor, and the uncertainty of regulatory approval and physician adoption. Hedge fund interest is rising, with 38 funds holding stakes in the second quarter, up from 31 in the first quarter, while short interest remains low at approximately 0.26% of public float.
Novartis Falls 1.9% as Pelacarsen Failure Erases CHF4.9 Billion
Novartis shares fell 1.9% in Zurich trading on Monday after its experimental drug pelacarsen failed a pivotal Phase 3 cardiovascular trial, erasing roughly CHF4.9 billion in market value. The drug lowered lipoprotein(a) but did not significantly reduce cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks, strokes, or urgent coronary procedures compared with placebo in the Lp(a)HORIZON study, which enrolled 8,323 patients. Novartis, which trades on the NYSE at $159.99, reported second-quarter sales of $14.41 billion and free cash flow of $5.56 billion, but the failure removes a key growth prospect. The stock now sits 22.53% above its GF Value estimate of $130.57, indicating that pipeline optimism remains priced in. Attention now turns to fourth-quarter data for del-desiran, a drug acquired through the $12 billion Avidity deal, which has become a must-win event following this setback.
Novartis Loses Potential $6 Billion Drug Opportunity After Trial Failure
Novartis AG has lost a potential $6 billion drug opportunity after its experimental cholesterol treatment pelacarsen failed in a late-stage study, failing to reduce major cardiovascular events as hoped. Analysts had projected annual sales of $3 billion to $6 billion if the drug proved effective, but that prospect now appears unlikely. The setback underscores the inherent risks in drug development, where a single trial can erase years of research and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. While Novartis is large enough to absorb the clinical failure, the loss of a potential blockbuster shifts focus to the rest of its pipeline to deliver future growth. Investors will now look to other late-stage medications to fulfill the company's growth expectations.
Shares of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis fell as much as 3.3% on Monday (Sept. 7) after its key drug designed to lower Lp(a) levels in the blood failed a final-stage trial. The failure casts doubt on this treatment approach and has led investors to turn their attention to and raise expectations for upcoming data from an RNA therapy trial. Late Friday (Sept. 4), Novartis announced that pelacarsen did not significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in a large final-stage trial involving patients with high Lp(a) levels, a genetic risk factor for which there is no targeted treatment. Previously, analysts had forecast that if the drug succeeded, it could achieve peak annual sales of $3 billion to $6 billion. The failure also poses a greater challenge to rival drugmakers Amgen and Eli Lilly, which are also in final-stage trials of Lp(a)-lowering drugs. The situation also adds pressure to other drugs in the pipeline, particularly del-desiran, an experimental treatment for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), with trial results expected in the fourth quarter of this year. Analysts note that the muscular dystrophy drug needs to succeed in trials to justify the investment of up to $12 billion that Novartis spent to acquire the rights to this drug. However, Novartis is also scheduled to report results from a trial of remibrutinib, an anti-inflammatory drug for chronic hidradenitis suppurativa, later this year. This drug recently succeeded in a trial for multiple sclerosis patients, which may help support and cushion investor disappointment. Before the share price decline on Monday, Novartis shares had risen about a fifth since the start of the year, driven by market confidence in its new drug pipeline, despite the company facing pressure from patent expirations on older drugs.
Novartis and Ionis Heart Drug Fails to Meet Main Goal in Late-Stage Trial
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said on the 4th that its heart drug pelacarsen, developed jointly with U.S.-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals, failed to reduce the risk of major heart attacks or strokes in a late-stage clinical trial involving patients with a genetic risk factor. This was the first late-stage trial to test whether the drug could prevent heart attacks or strokes in patients whose non-genetic, ordinary LDL cholesterol was already well controlled. It was conducted over more than six years and involved more than 8,000 patients with high Lp(a) levels. Pelacarsen did lower Lp(a) levels, but this did not lead to achieving the primary endpoint. Novartis is currently facing some of the largest patent expirations in its history and is under pressure to offset declining sales of its major heart failure drug Entresto. Pelacarsen was considered one of the company's promising pipeline candidates. The two companies plan to present the full trial data at a future medical conference.
Novartis to Cut 130 Jobs in Basel as It Consolidates Biologics Operations
Novartis AG plans to cut around 130 jobs in Switzerland as it relocates laboratory activities and ends small-scale biologics production at its Kleinbasel site in Basel, part of a previously announced plan to establish a new biologics technical development center at its main Basel campus. The company will move laboratories supporting biological cell banks, analytical testing, and technical development to the main campus by the end of 2028, while small-scale production at Kleinbasel is expected to end by the end of 2027. The relocation is tied to individual leases expiring in 2029, and affected production will shift to existing biologics drug-substance facilities elsewhere in Europe. The potential job cuts, affecting roughly 130 of about 200 employees at Kleinbasel, are subject to an information and consultation process, with support measures including job centers, early retirement, and an extended social plan. The move comes alongside a $23 billion investment to build and expand 10 U.S. facilities over five years, and follows positive late-stage results for remibrutinib in relapsing multiple sclerosis, which analysts see as potentially generating billions in annual sales.
Novartis Inks $3.22 Billion Drug-Delivery Deal with Alteogen
Novartis has signed a drug-delivery agreement worth up to $3.22 billion with Alteogen, aiming to convert intravenous biologic medicines into faster under-the-skin injections. The deal, which covers several potential products using Alteogen's Hybrozyme platform and ALT-B4 enzyme, is not an upfront payment; most of the money depends on achieving development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Novartis shares slipped 0.1% to $161.05 on Wednesday, and the stock trades 23.11% above its GF Value estimate of $130.82, indicating investors are paying a premium for future execution.
Alteogen Signs Option and License Deal with Novartis for Subcutaneous Products
Alteogen Inc. has entered into an option and license agreement with Novartis for the development and commercialization of subcutaneous products using its ALT-B4 enzyme, powered by the Hybrozyme platform. Under the deal, Novartis obtains multiple options to secure exclusive rights to develop and commercialize subcutaneous formulations for several of its products, leveraging ALT-B4 to convert intravenous biologics into more convenient subcutaneous injections. If all options are exercised and milestones met, Alteogen could receive up to US$3,223 million, including option fees, milestone payments, and royalties. This marks Alteogen's fourth licensing agreement this year, underscoring the growing value of its Hybrozyme technology. Alteogen's CEO, Tae-Yon Chun, highlighted the agreement as evidence of the platform's technological strength and commercial potential.
Novartis Jumps 6% as MS Drug Meets Goals in Two Phase 3 Trials
Novartis shares surged about 6% to $161.10 on Tuesday after its oral drug remibrutinib met primary goals in two Phase 3 trials for multiple sclerosis, showing fewer relapses and brain lesions than teriflunomide without the liver-safety concerns investors had feared. The company also reported that pooled results indicated slower disability progression, potentially giving remibrutinib another edge in a large treatment market. The drug, already sold as Rhapsido for chronic hives, generated only $64 million in second-quarter sales, but full results are due in October, with global regulatory submissions to follow. At $161.10, Novartis trades 23.13% above its GF Value estimate of $130.84, reflecting high investor expectations. The rally also distinguishes remibrutinib from eight suspended rap-cel studies after three deaths linked to severe immune reactions, with two deaths in the remibrutinib trials ruled unrelated to treatment.
GoPro, Novartis, Comstock, Howmet, Fervo Lead Options Activity
GoPro Inc stock surged 72.3% to $1.51 after Markiplier disclosed an 8.5% stake worth $9 million, driving 87,000 options contracts, 11.9 times the usual volume, with calls at 74%. Novartis AG rose 6.5% to $162.01 on positive late-stage trial results for its multiple sclerosis pill, with 13,000 options traded, 2.9 times the norm, and puts at 83%. Comstock Resources Inc gained 6% to $15.30 after announcing a $1.65 billion strategic partnership with SOCAR and a $450 million drilling joint venture with the Jones family, with options volume at 2.8 times the usual and calls at 96%. Howmet Aerospace Inc climbed 3.9% to $254.50, rebounding from a selloff triggered by Elon Musk's SpaceX turbine announcement, with 12,000 options traded, 2.5 times the norm, and puts at 93%. Fervo Energy Co jumped 23.7% to $19.03 after securing its largest-ever power agreement with Google for nearly 400 megawatts from its Utah project, with 8,779 options, 2.7 times the usual volume, and calls at 95%.
GoPro surges 82% as Markiplier discloses 8.5% stake
Stock futures traded lower early Tuesday, with Dow futures down 0.65%, S&P 500 futures down 0.62%, and Nasdaq-100 futures down 1.06%. GoPro shares surged over 82% premarket after YouTube creator Mark Fischbach, known as Markiplier, disclosed an 8.5% stake in the company, making him its largest individual shareholder. Robinhood rose 2.6% after Morgan Stanley upgraded it to Overweight with a $150 price target. Novartis climbed nearly 4% on positive late-stage trial data for its MS drug remibrutinib. Sono Group jumped about 55% after announcing a non-binding letter of intent to combine with Sports One, creating a publicly traded company that would acquire minority stakes in major sports leagues. Duolingo gained 3.8% after Evercore ISI raised its price target to $210.
Novartis Halts CAR-T Trials After Three Patient Deaths
Novartis has paused eight clinical trials of an experimental CAR-T therapy targeting autoimmune and neurological disorders after three patients died from a severe immune response, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Swiss pharmaceutical company temporarily halted the studies in late August and is conducting a comprehensive review of the safety events, which it describes as a known risk in CAR-T therapies. Novartis is working with independent safety boards overseeing each paused study and sharing information with regulators. Bristol-Myers Squibb has also paused similar trials of its CAR-T treatment in autoimmune disorders as a precautionary measure.
Novartis remibrutinib cuts relapse rates in Phase III RMS trials
Novartis announced positive topline results from its Phase III REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 trials, showing that remibrutinib, an oral BTK inhibitor, significantly reduced annualized relapse rate versus teriflunomide in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. The trials met their primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority on all key secondary endpoints, including reductions in MRI lesions and a clinically meaningful delay in disability progression. Remibrutinib showed a favorable safety profile with no liver safety signal, consistent with its use in chronic spontaneous urticaria. Novartis plans to present the data at MSToronto2026 and intends to seek regulatory approval globally.
The global cytotoxic drugs market is projected to grow from $16.21 billion in 2026 to $21.06 billion by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.37%, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. Rising cancer incidence, earlier diagnosis, expanded reimbursement, and growing demand in emerging economies are driving the market. In 2025, the market was valued at $15.38 billion, with parenteral drugs holding a 68.87% share, while oral drugs are expected to grow faster at an 8.79% CAGR. Alkylating agents led with a 30.10% share in 2025, but antimetabolites are forecast to grow fastest at 7.02% CAGR. North America accounted for 42.15% of revenue in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at 10.07% CAGR, supported by China's approval of 228 drugs in 2024, 37% of which were antineoplastics. Key players include Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi.
PWIN and PWINRMF funds benefit from healthcare stock surge
The Phillip World Innovation Fund, or PWIN, and the Phillip World Innovation Retirement Mutual Fund, or PWINRMF, have received a positive boost from the global rise in healthcare stocks, one of the three core investment themes the funds emphasize, alongside information technology, semiconductors, AI and data centers, and clean energy infrastructure. The S&P 500 Healthcare Index has risen 10.8% since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, calculated from the closing price on March 2, 2026, compared with the closing price on August 19, 2026, according to Bloomberg data. A specific positive factor came from late-stage trial results in patients with melanoma skin cancer, indicating that the use of Moderna's mRNA vaccine in combination with Merck's Keytruda produced positive outcomes. This sent Moderna's share price soaring by as much as 176% and lifted Merck's shares by 12% on August 19 alone. Other healthcare stocks such as Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer also saw significant gains.
Novartis to Present Pivotal Cardiovascular Data at ESC 2026
Novartis plans to present late-breaking data from multiple pivotal cardiovascular studies at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress. The presentations include head-to-head Phase IV results for Leqvio in LDL-C management and new analyses on bleeding risk for abelacimab in atrial fibrillation. These data may influence future treatment guidelines and physician use of Novartis cardiovascular therapies. Investors will watch whether Leqvio meets LDL-C targets versus bempedoic acid and whether AZALEA TIMI 71 shows a meaningfully different total bleeding pattern for abelacimab compared with rivaroxaban.
Aktis Oncology, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, is seen as a potential acquisition target for Novartis, Eli Lilly, and Bristol Myers Squibb due to its alpha-emitting cancer platform and upcoming trial data. Aktis retains full worldwide rights to its miniprotein radioconjugate platform, with $517.3 million in cash and preliminary data from its lead candidate AKY-1189 expected in the first quarter of 2027. Novartis, whose Pluvicto grew 43% in Q2 2026, and Eli Lilly, already a $60 million upfront partner, rank as the top two strategic acquirers. Analysts target $34.42 for AKTS while the 24/7 Wall St. base case reaches $42.16, but a failed readout would erase the takeout premium entirely.
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