What Novartis does

Novartis AG is a Swiss-domiciled, publicly traded pharmaceutical company (ticker NVS) formed in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Following the 2023-2024 spin-off of Sandoz, the company operates as a focused innovative medicines business developing and commercializing branded prescription drugs across four therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular/Renal/Metabolic, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Oncology. Its commercial portfolio includes major brands such as Entresto, Cosentyx, Kisqali, Kesimpta, Leqembi, Pluvicto, Scemblix, Jakavi, Zolgensma, and Kymriah, with the latter representing first-in-class CAR-T cell therapy. Novartis also operates proprietary technology platforms spanning CAR-T cell therapy, radioligand therapy (RLT), AAV-based gene therapy, and cell therapy, and has published open-source informatics tools including Peax, RDKit, YADA, OntoBrowser, YAP, Railroadtracks, and GridVar to support drug discovery and computational biology.

The company generates revenue primarily through one-time prescription pharmaceutical product sales to healthcare providers, hospitals, retail pharmacies, and wholesale distributors, supplemented by licensing and royalty arrangements for proprietary technologies and compounds. Pricing is negotiated at the country level with governments, insurers, and healthcare systems and is not publicly disclosed. Novartis employs a traditional pharmaceutical go-to-market model combining direct field sales for hospital and specialty prescribing, medical science liaisons, and participation in major medical congresses (ASCO, EULAR, ESC, ECTRIMS, EADV, ESMO), with additional reach through managed access programs for specific treatments such as the Zolgensma Global Managed Access Program. Distribution spans more than 50 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa, supported by manufacturing facilities in Switzerland (Basel, Stein, Schweizerhalle) and the United States (Carlsbad, Durham), and the company's medicines reach an estimated 296 million patients worldwide.

Leadership is vested in CEO Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan and a broad Executive Committee, with governance provided by a Board of Directors including Giovanni Caforio, Simon Moroney, Nancy C. Andrews, Ton Buechner, Patrice Bula, Elizabeth (Liz) Doherty, Bridgette Heller, Frans van Houten, Elizabeth McNally, Ana de Pro Gonzalo, Charles Swanton, John D. Young, and Charlotte Pamer-Wieser. Recent strategic activity includes the completed acquisition of MorphoSys (2024, $2.75B), the announced acquisition of Avidity Biosciences (2026), and the opening/groundbreaking of US manufacturing facilities in Carlsbad and Durham (2026), underscoring a continuing focus on oncology, rare disease, and advanced therapy platforms.

Name

Novartis

Legal name

Novartis AG

Website

https://novartis.com.co

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Novartis AG is a Swiss global pharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines across cardiovascular, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology therapeutic areas, serving 296 million patients worldwide through branded drugs and advanced therapy platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovative Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC), Cardiology & Vascular Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAG)

Keywords

• Prescription pharmaceuticals
• Innovative medicines
• Oncology therapeutics
• Gene therapy
• Radioligand therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Novartis generates the majority of revenue through the sale of prescription pharmaceutical products across four main therapeutic areas: cardiovascular/renal/metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology. Products are sold directly to healthcare providers, hospitals, pharmacies, and through wholesale distribution channels globally.
2. Licensing and Royalties: Revenue is generated through licensing agreements for proprietary technologies, drug compounds, and intellectual property to other pharmaceutical companies and partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Novartis develops, manufactures, and commercializes innovative prescription pharmaceutical products across four core therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular/Renal/Metabolic, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Oncology. Its branded portfolio includes targeted therapies such as Kymriah (CAR-T), Pluvicto (radioligand therapy), Zolgensma (gene therapy), Cosentyx, Kisqali, Entresto, Kesimpta, Leqembi, and others, supported by proprietary cell therapy, radioligand, gene therapy, and small molecule technology platforms. The company also licenses proprietary technologies and compounds to other pharmaceutical firms.

Product overview

Novartis is an innovative medicines company that develops and commercializes pharmaceutical products across four main therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic; Immunology; Neuroscience; and Oncology. The company offers a diverse portfolio of branded medicines including Tafinlar, Mekinist, Cosentyx, Kisqali, Entresto, Kesimpta, Leqembi, Pluvicto, Scemblix, Jakavi, Zolgensma, and Kymriah. In addition to its commercial products, Novartis operates technology platforms including CAR-T Cell Therapy, Radioligand Therapy, Gene Therapy, and Cell Therapy. The company also develops open-source informatics tools for drug discovery such as Peax, YADA, OntoBrowser, Railroadtracks, and GridVar. Novartis operates primarily as a pharmaceutical manufacturer rather than a software platform company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Innovative prescription medicines across multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, and cardiovascular
• Novartis Oncology
• Sandoz
• Novartis Gene Therapies

Products and services

• Tafinlar (dabrafenib) BRAF inhibitor for treating melanoma and other cancers with BRAF V600 mutations, used in combination with Mekinist.
• Mekinist (trametinib) MEK inhibitor used in combination with Tafinlar for melanoma and other cancers with BRAF V600 mutations.
• Cosentyx (secukinumab) IL-17A inhibitor for treating psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
• Kisqali (ribociclib) CDK4/6 inhibitor for treating HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.
• Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) Heart failure medication combining a neprilysin inhibitor and an ARB, used to reduce cardiovascular death risk.
• Kesimpta (ofatumumab) Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.
• Leqembi (lecanemab) Amyloid-targeting therapy for treating Alzheimer's disease.
• Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) Radioligand therapy for treating PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
• Scemblix (asciminib) BCR-ABL1 inhibitor for treating chronic myeloid leukemia.
• Jakavi (ruxolitinib) JAK inhibitor for treating myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and graft-versus-host disease.
• Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) AAV-based gene therapy for treating spinal muscular atrophy in pediatric patients.
• Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) CAR-T cell therapy for treating B-cell lymphomas and leukemia.
• Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Therapeutic Area Portfolio Research, development, and commercialization focus on heart failure, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders.
• Immunology Therapeutic Area Portfolio Research, development, and commercialization focus on immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
• Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Portfolio Research, development, and commercialization focus on neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
• Oncology Therapeutic Area Portfolio Research, development, and commercialization focus on hematology and solid tumor cancers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medicines reach 296 million people worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Avidity BiosciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Novartis agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences, expanding capabilities in antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates for rare diseases and strengthening the rare disease pipeline.
• MorphoSyscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2024Novartis completed the acquisition of MorphoSys, a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative medicines for cancer. The acquisition strengthened Novartis oncology portfolio and research capabilities.
• Medicines for Malaria VenturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop next-generation antimalarial treatments as part of Novartis global health commitment and malaria elimination efforts.
• International Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide medicines for Syrian refugees, demonstrating commitment to humanitarian access and global health.
• AcquiasupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcquia provides Drupal hosting and support services for Novartis corporate websites including the global Novartis.com site.
• HCL TechnologiessupportingTechnology or IntegrationHCL Technologies provides development and technical support for Novartis Drupal-based web platforms, including a dedicated team of developers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Johnson & Johnson: Diversified healthcare major with an innovative pharmaceuticals segment spanning oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Competes directly with Novartis in immunology (Cosentyx vs. Stelara/Tremfya) and hematology.
• Roche: Swiss-headquartered global pharmaceutical company with overlapping franchises in oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Closest geographic and therapeutic-area peer to Novartis, including competing biologics and advanced therapy programs.
• Sanofi: European pharma peer with immunology (Dupixent) and rare-disease franchises that overlap with Novartis's immunology and specialty portfolio. Similar in scale and recently completed its own generics spin-off (EuroAPI), paralleling Novartis's Sandoz separation.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb: Oncology-focused large pharma with overlapping hematology and solid-tumor franchises. Direct competitor to Novartis in CAR-T cell therapy (Breyanzi vs. Kymriah) and kinase inhibitors.
• AbbVie: Innovative-medicines major with an immunology powerhouse (Humira/Skyrizi/Rinvoq) that competes with Cosentyx. Comparable in scale and focused-innovator structure post-Humira LOE, similar to Novartis's post-Sandoz positioning.
• GSK: UK-headquartered global pharma with vaccines, specialty medicines, and HIV franchises. Overlaps with Novartis in immunology, respiratory, and oncology adjacencies, and comparable in scale as a European innovative-medicines company.
• Pfizer: Large-cap US pharma with similarly broad therapeutic-area coverage including oncology, vaccines, and internal medicine. Direct competitor across multiple Novartis franchises and comparable in scale and pipeline breadth.
• AstraZeneca: Global pharma with a strong oncology and rare-disease pipeline that competes with Novartis across multiple programs. Comparable in growth profile and therapeutic-area breadth, particularly in oncology and cardiovascular.
• Merck & Co. US-headquartered pharma with a leading oncology franchise (Keytruda) that competes directly with Novartis's Pluvicto, Kisqali, and other oncology assets. Comparable in innovative-medicines scale and pipeline depth.
• Eli Lilly: US-headquartered large-cap pharma with expanding oncology, immunology, and neuroscience franchises. Comparable in scale, pipeline investment intensity, and exposure to chronic-disease therapeutics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novartiscolombia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Novartis