December 29, 2008
Novartis strengthens vaccine pipeline with agreement for novel CMV vaccines candidate
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infects approximately 86 000 newborns in the US and EU each year causing 700 deaths and 17 500 cases of severe disability
- To date there are no approved vaccines to prevent CMV infections
- The vaccine is expected to enter phase II clinical trials in 2009
December 20, 2008
Glivec receives US approval as first treatment to reduce risk of cancer returning in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors
- Use of Glivec after surgery shows significant benefit for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients, dramatically reducing risk of relapse
- GIST, a life-threatening cancer, recurs in as many as one of two patients; recurrent tumors are often more aggressive than primary tumors
- For GIST patients who were assigned to Glivec, more than nine out of 10 remained cancer-free based on a 14-month median follow up
December 13, 2008
Afinitor® shows potential to reverse resistance to Herceptin®[*] in metastatic breast cancer patients, leading to Phase III trial
- Afinitor (RAD001) combined with Herceptin and chemotherapy in two separate Phase I trials halted tumor growth in 77% and 62% of patients, respectively
- Novartis to start Phase III clinical trial program to explore Afinitor, an oral mTOR inhibitor, as combination treatment with Herceptin and chemotherapy
December 12, 2008
First Phase III results for FTY720, a novel oral therapy for MS, show superior efficacy compared to interferon beta-1a
- FTY720 significantly reduced annualized relapse rates by 52% (0.5 mg dose) and 38% (1.25 mg) vs. interferon beta-1a in one-year TRANSFORMS study[1]
- FTY720 generally well-tolerated and safety profile in line with previous experience[1]
- Regulatory submissions for FTY720 in US and EU on track for end of 2009; FREEDOMS and FREEDOMS II placebo-controlled Phase III studies continuing
- Multiple sclerosis, a devastating disease causing progressive disability, affects up to 2.5 million people worldwide including many young adults[2]
December 11, 2008
New data show Zometa® enhances impact of chemotherapy on reducing breast tumor size
- Adding Zometa to chemotherapy prior to surgery led to an additional 33% reduction in tumor size, resulting in fewer mastectomies
- New data are first to demonstrate direct effect of Zometa to help shrink primary tumors; further evidence of Zometa as a potential anticancer therapy
December 11, 2008
Femara® first aromatase inhibitor to indicate survival benefit versus tamoxifen when taken for five years after breast cancer surgery
- Femara showed reduced risk of death by 13% (P=0.08), despite inclusion of patients crossing over from tamoxifen to Femara therapy
- In a separate censored analysis excluding patients after they crossed over to Femara, reduction in risk of death was 19%
- Long-term follow-up from major independent BIG 1-98 trial reinforces starting with Femara as the optimal treatment strategy versus tamoxifen
- Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer
- Extended adjuvant treatment of hormone-dependent early breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have had prior standard adjuvant tamoxifen therapy for five years
- First-line treatment in postmenopausal women with hormone-dependent advanced breast cancer
- Advanced breast cancer in women with natural or artificially induced postmenopausal status after relapse or disease progression who have been treated with antiestrogens
- Pre-operative therapy in postmenopausal women with localized hormone receptor-positive breast cancer which allows subsequent breast-conserving surgery in patients not originally considered suitable for this type of surgery
December 11, 2008
Novartis receives China Charity Award for relief efforts to Chinese earthquake victims
- China Bureau of Civil Affairs recognizes Novartis for providing immediate and long-term relief to the earthquake region
- Novartis provided immediate medical supplies and financial donations to the YaAn disaster area in the MingShan district
- Contributions from Novartis associates are supporting the reconstruction of a new school and health unit
December 09, 2008
Exjade® benefits chronically transfused patients by significantly reducing toxic iron that can damage key organs, according to landmark trial
- First prospective, multicenter study to show Exjade removes iron from the heart in beta-thalassemia patients with mild to severe cardiac iron overload
- In a subgroup analysis of 341 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Exjade significantly reduced levels of toxic iron
- These results are part of the largest prospective trial in iron chelation, which includes more than 1,700 patients with various transfusion-dependent anemias
December 08, 2008
Tasigna® demonstrates rapid response as initial therapy in life-threatening form of leukemia
- Tasigna now shows potential to become the treatment of choice for certain newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
- Two separate studies show rapid elimination of cancer cells in 96% of Tasigna patients and reduction of abnormal CML protein by six months
- Larger front-line Phase III trial evaluating Tasigna vs. Glivec® now fully accrued
December 04, 2008
Novartis awards program continues to drive energy savings and environmental progress
- 2008 Novartis Energy Excellence Awards recognize four projects from Austria, Germany, Indonesia and Switzerland
- Now in its fifth year, the award is integral to the company's commitment to conserve energy and reduce emissions
- The 46 entries for the 2008 awards have already achieved substantial energy savings and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions reductions
