Novartis Biologics

Biologics are at the cutting-edge of drug discovery. Novartis has a strong track record in bringing effective biotechnology-based medicines to patients (e.g., Xolair, Lucentis, Simulect, Extavia, Proleukin). Building on this experience, Novartis created a dedicated biologics unit in 2007 to strengthen its commitment to biologics and their potential to meet patient need. 

Novartis Biologics is dedicated to the ultimate goal of delivering customized, targeted biologic therapies that can improve the lives of patients around the world. We are a dynamic, lean, and open organization that combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with the experience and resources of a big pharmaceutical company.

We strive to discover novel drugs for patients in all phases of research, development and marketed products in the following areas:

• autoimmunity
• respiratory
• infectious disease
• oncology

At Novartis Biologics we are leveraging both our deep experience in targeted disease areas and our partnerships with internal research teams, academic institutions and biotechnology companies. This has resulted in a rich pipeline of possibilities for our patients, representing around 25% of the Novartis R&D pipeline. There are over 40 biologic molecules in the Novartis pipeline, and Novartis Biologics is growing. The pipeline is increasing as we expand pre-clinical discovery, prepare to begin Phase I and II studies, and innovate new possibilities to help our patients.

View Novartis pipeline

Learn more about our drug discovery process

Learn about careers at Novartis Biologics

 

 

What are biologics

Biologics are typically highly specific and potent medicines. They are produced by living cells.

They can be composed of:

• proteins
• genetic materials (nucleic acids)
• sugars
• or may be complex combinations of these three substances.

Biotechnology, commonly described as genetic engineering, is the use of DNA to produce very selective proteins. Most biologics are made by harvesting medically active proteins which are produced or secreted by genetically engineered cells.

In contrast to biologics, chemically based low molecular weight (LMW) drugs are mainly synthesized by adding and mixing together known chemicals and reagents using a series of controlled and predictable chemical reactions.

 

Biologics bring benefits to patients

Biologics are an important means of delivering the right medicine to the right patient. They give us important new therapeutic options for addressing unmet medical need. Biologics have several properties that make them work very well in patients.

Biologics are more selective than traditional low-molecular-weight (LMW) drugs. They usually only "attack" their disease target, and do not affect healthy tissues or cells.

Most biologics are proteins, and as such, are degraded exactly the same way as other proteins in the body. As a result, patients taking biologics drugs tend to have less side effects than with synthesized chemical drugs.

Biologics have a long half-life in the human body. The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for it to lose half of its beneficial/therapeutic activity. As a therapeutic antibody can be active as long as 14-25 days and therefore can remain effective for weeks, patients do not need to take biologics as often as LMW medicines which usually need to be taken once, twice or even three times daily.