Novartis lines up aliskiren combos and cancer drugs to deal with Diovan's 2012 patent loss

At its first R&D conference since 2006, Novartis highlighted a total of 88 New Molecular Entities in its pipeline, a 40% increase since 2005.

The Swiss drug major also revealed that it had boosted productivity by using homogeneous populations and focusing on well-understood diseases. 80% of compounds that were successful in proof-of-concept clinical trials in 2006-2007 transitioned to confirmatory Phase II/III testing, up from 60% in 2003-2005.

Like all the Pharma majors, Novartis has been building its presence in biotechnology drugs, attracted by the lack of a clear pathway for generic approval in the USA and the potential for multi-indication, "pipeline in a drug" blockbusters. Protein therapeutics, especially monoclonal antibodies, now constitute 25% of its preclinical portfolio.