With full confidence in China, where Novartis recorded 17 percent growth last year, one of the fastest among all major multinational pharmaceutical companies, the top China executive of Novartis said it will remain one of the company’s key markets over the upcoming decade.By focusing on cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases that put a heavy burden on China, and immunology, oncology, and neuroscience, in which Switzerland-based Novartis has unique advantages, the company will continue to bring high-value innovative drugs and treatment options to local patients, said Leo Lee, president and managing director of Novartis China.He made the remarks ahead of the ongoing seventh China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which the company has now participated in for seven years in a row.“China’s economy continues to maintain its vitality and resilience, and the country is vigorously driving high-quality development, and optimizing its investment and business environment, all of which create greater opportunities for multinational companies,” said Lee.“With the CIIE and other initiatives, the Chinese government continues to demonstrate its strong resolve to further open up the Chinese economy, and is committed to achieving such a goal in an inclusive manner for all stakeholders. This will encourage multinational companies to invest in the country and formulate long-term development strategies,” he said.In terms of the pharmaceutical industry, Lee believes that the Chinese market offers unprecedented opportunities for multinational pharmaceutical companies as the Chinese government has been constantly supporting innovation to ultimately improve people’s health over the past decade.“The China market, which is currently the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market and expected to maintain rapid growth, presents excellent opportunities for multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis,” he said. Since 2022, Novartis has seen 100 percent of its drug development in China achieve simultaneous development with global development. Also, within the next two years, the company targets having 90 percent of its new drug application submissions in China occur simultaneously with global submissions, aiming to narrow the time gap between launches of new drugs in China and worldwide.With the theme “Focusing on Innovative Medicines, Sharing a Healthy Future” and a 600-square-meter booth, Novartis is showcasing its cutting-edge therapies, including small interfering RNA (siRNA), radioligand therapy, and cell and gene therapy at this year’s CIIE.It is also presenting nearly 20 major innovative medicines, including a number of innovative products and therapies that are the world’s sole or first.“The CIIE provides an important platform for multinational companies to showcase their innovations and solutions, and promote communication and collaborations among various parties involved in the industry and the entire ecosystem,” said Lee.Since participating in the inaugural CIIE in 2018, Novartis has had nearly 40 innovative drugs and indications approved in China, including many debuts at the expo before approval. Many exhibits have been introduced to the China market, benefiting local patients, Lee said.Being a pharmaceutical company that includes five major technology platforms — namely radioligand therapy, xRNA therapy, gene and cell therapy, biotherapeutics, and chemotherapy — in its research and development pipeline, Novartis deploys a section at its booth exhibiting the core advantages of such major technology platforms.The company’s radioligand therapy, a prime example of how CIIE exhibits can drive significant investments, is among those being highlighted. Visitors can experience how the advanced therapy works with head-mounted display devices and holographic goggles.Having exhibited the therapy at the previous editions of the CIIE, Novartis announced in December in 2023 an investment of 600 million yuan ($84 million) to establish a radiopharmaceutical production base in Haiyan county, Zhejiang province.Listed as a key foreign investment project by the Ministry of Commerce, the base, which is also the first foreign radioligand manufacturing site in China, began construction in July. The base, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, will provide Chinese patients with precision radioligand therapy to fight against cancers.Radioligand therapy, in which Novartis is a global leader, aims to redefine the standard of care for patients with all types of cancer. Functioning like a “tumor locating missile”, it has the ability to precisely kill tumor cells, while minimizing the damage to healthy cells, and thus providing safer and better treatment for cancer patients.After its acquisition of SanReno Therapeutics, a clinical-stage Chinese biotech company, in January to expand its kidney disease product portfolio, Novartis is also showcasing its kidney disease pipeline for the first time at this year’s CIIE.Star exhibits include the world’s first small molecule complement factor B inhibitor for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare disorder of the blood system. It has received approval in the United States to treat IgA nephropathy, a condition that puts patients at risk of progressing to end-stage renal diseases. The medicine is also expected to be approved in China to treat IgAN and complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G), a group of conditions that affect the body’s immune system and prevent the kidneys from filtering blood, according to Novartis.Another section at the booth is dedicated to showcasing the company’s efforts to expand into county-level markets, supporting China’s national policy to strengthen primary healthcare, and improving medication accessibility in counties.Novartis China currently covers approximately 1,000 county-level markets, with products spanning dermatology, rheumatology, cardiovascular and ophthalmology.“Through a number of initiatives, we’re also helping to promote the extending of standardized diagnoses and treatments and high-quality medical resources to counties,” Lee said.
