March 2009 - Productivity on the rise in Research and Development

An unwavering focus on cutting-edge science and the unmet needs of patients delivered further productivity gains for Novartis R&D during 2008.

Novartis scientists have a tough act to follow: between 2000 and 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more new medicines from Novartis than any other major pharmaceutical company. Thanks to innovative R&D approaches, however, the Novartis pipeline remains one of the strongest in the industry, with 152 projects in clinical development. Many of these new medicines have potential best-in-class status, aiming to create or advance new standards of care.

The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the Novartis global drug discovery organization, achieved a key milestone in 2008 by completing 10 successful clinical proof-of-concept (PoC) trials. "We thought initially that we might get to that number (of PoCs) by 2012," says Mark Fishman, President of NIBR. "Overall signs are that this level is sustainable - but drug discovery is really, really tough and everyone should realize that there will be ups and downs. For us, it's not so much a matter of making numbers of medicines as making great medicines."

Mark Fishman, President of NIBR (above left), and Trevor Mundel, Global Head of Pharma Development, drive an R&D strategy that is quickly bringing new and better medicines to patients.

NIBR celebrates positive PoC compounds with commemorative images. Some PoCs are represented here and address unmet patient needs including: 1 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), 2 Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), 3 Cystic Fibrosis (CF), and 4 Diabetes.

Secrets of success

Fishman attributes an abundance of positive PoCs in recent years to the talent of more than 5000 scientists and physicians working in NIBR labs around the world. Researchers have broad freedom to explore new directions in science, he adds, but projects are chosen carefully, applying stringent standards.

"We measure each potential project in terms of unmet medical need and scientific tractability - whether the disease mechanism is understood," Fishman says. "Unmet need doesn't mean size of the market - rather it means that there are patients, even a few, desperate for help. But we cannot afford to base our directions on hope - we go where disease mechanisms are understood, and so have confidence that we can succeed. Of course, choosing such meaningful medical targets, also based on strong science, and knowing that our results will be very important for patients, combine also to make the excitement level go up  - and as a result, our scientists tend to work even harder."

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