Novartis has raised its mid-term sales growth outlook to 6% or more through 2029, citing the strength of its pipeline containing more than 30 high-value projects. The Swiss pharmaceutical giant announced the improved guidance at a management event in London, marking a one percentage point increase from its earlier forecast.
The enhanced outlook reflects the company's confidence in its focused strategy following the completion of its transformation into a pure-play innovative medicines company with the spinout of generic and biosimilar developer Sandoz just over a year ago.
Current Portfolio Driving Growth
Eight medicines already on the market demonstrate peak sales potential ranging from $3 billion to over $8 billion, according to CEO Vas Narasimhan. The company has raised sales projections for several key products, including psoriasis treatment Cosentyx, breast cancer drug Kisqali, multiple sclerosis therapy Kesimpta, prostate cancer radioligand therapy Pluvicto, and cholesterol-lowering drug Leqvio.
Four Multibillion-Dollar Launches Expected
Narasimhan highlighted four upcoming launches expected to achieve multibillion-dollar peak sales potential. Oral BTK inhibitor remibrutinib is heading for regulatory filing in chronic spontaneous urticaria next year, with follow-up indications in multiple sclerosis and chronic inducible urticaria due to read out in 2026.
Pelacarsen, developed in partnership with Akcea, is currently in a cardiovascular outcomes trial for patients with elevated Lp(a) levels, with results expected in 2025. The gene therapy OAV101 IT, a follow-up to Novartis' spinal muscular atrophy treatment Zolgensma with simplified administration, should deliver pivotal results before the end of this year.
Anti-BAFF-R antibody ianalumab is expected to generate results in Sjogren's syndrome and as a second-line therapy for immune thrombocytopenia in 2025, with a first-line ITP study due to produce data in 2026.
Robust Pipeline Supporting Long-Term Growth
The company's pipeline includes more than 15 data readouts that could lead to regulatory filings within the next two years. Mid- to late-stage programs identified as high-value assets include IgA nephropathy candidate zigakibart, DLX3131 for Parkinson's disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy LTP001, and VHB937 for Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
"Longer term, we've identified more than 30 assets in the pipeline with significant potential to rejuvenate our portfolio and support mid-single-digit growth post 2029," Narasimhan stated. He also pointed to more than 30 "strategic deals" in the past two years aimed at strengthening the company's early-stage pipeline.
The CEO expressed confidence in the company's ability to deliver sustainable value creation for shareholders through its focused strategy on innovative, branded medicines. "Taken together, we remain confident in our focused strategy and ability to deliver sustainable value creation for shareholders," he concluded.
