From the inception of a therapeutic through early clinical development, our disease area teams collaborate across scientific disciplines and organizations in support of our mission to improve and extend peoples’ lives.

Breast cancer

Novartis aims to tackle breast cancer with bold science, collaboration, and a passion for transforming patient care. We take a bold approach to our research by including patient populations who are often neglected in clinical trials, identifying new pathways or mutations that may play a role in disease progression, and developing therapies to help extend and improve the lives of patients.

C3 glomerulopathy

C3G glomerulopathy (C3G) is a complex and progressive rare kidney disease that affects people of all ages, starting in childhood and young adulthood. Each year, approximately 1-2 new cases of C3G per million people are diagnosed worldwide.1-4

 

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

Chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML, is a type of cancer that develops in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow, in which immature cells build up and eventually invade the blood.5

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU)

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is the medical term for chronic hives (rash/wheals) and/or deep tissue swelling (angioedema) that lasts for at least 6 weeks. CSU is an unpredictable and debilitating skin condition, where the underlying cause is often internal rather than exposure to any allergen or external trigger. It affects over 40 million people worldwide, and women are twice as likely to be affected than men.6-10

 

Elevated lipoprotein(a)

Lp(a) is a type of fat particle, somewhat similar to cholesterol. Elevated levels of Lp(a) in the blood can cause the build-up of a fatty deposit in the arteries called plaques, known to be an underlying cause of CVD. If a plaque ruptures, it can cause a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or a stroke.11-16

Heart Failure

Heart failure is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body, leaving patients fatigued, short of breath, and at risk of sudden cardiac death.

 

IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a progressive, rare kidney disease and is a major cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Each year, around 25 people per million worldwide are newly diagnosed with IgAN.17-18

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and many times, it is caused by damage to the DNA in skin cells.19

 

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder of the central nervous system that disrupts the normal functioning of the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord through inflammation and tissue loss. Approximately 2.3 million people worldwide are affected by MS, of which 3 to 5% are estimated to be children.20-21

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, chronic, and serious blood disorder that comes with a range of mild to severe symptoms. It is one of a number of diseases that involve the complement system – the part of the body’s immune system that protects from infection and clearing damaged cells. In PNH, red blood cells (RBCs) are destroyed prematurely by the complement system, leading to a range of potentially debilitating symptoms.22-24

 

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in more than half of the world's countries. Our goal is to use the science of targeted therapies to reduce the global disease burden, extend the lives of patients, and elevate current standards of care.

Rare kidney diseases

The kidneys play a vital role in keeping us healthy, and often it is only when something goes wrong that we realize just how important our kidneys are. As many as 1 in 10 people are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide, which occurs when the kidneys have been damaged over time and can no longer function the way they should. CKD can get worse over time, and the kidneys may stop working altogether, known as kidney failure. In addition, CKD can be a risk factor for other diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.25-29

 

Sjögren’s disease

Sjögren’s disease is a systemic autoimmune disease. It affects glands that release secretions, such as tears and saliva, causing dryness, and also affects multiple organs and systems, causing inflammation and tissue damage, impacting the entire body.30-33

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

SMA is a rare and devastating genetic disease caused by a lack of a functional survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, resulting in the rapid and irreversible loss of motor neurons.

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