Novartis Venture Fund
Foster innovation, drive significant patient benefit and generate superior returns by creating and investing in innovative life science companies.
NVF is stage agnostic, engaging in investments from seed- to later-stage life sciences companies across Biotechnology/Biopharma.
NVF manages over USD 800 million in committed capital and more than 40 portfolio companies across North America, Europe, Israel and Asia/Pacific.
Our primary focus is on the development of novel therapeutics and platforms. In our investments we look for unmet need and clinical impact, novel proprietary science and understanding of mechanism, management and board experience and capital efficiency in the program.
We invest in North America, Europe, Israel and Asia/Pacific with approximately USD 800 million under management in committed capital and more than 40 portfolio companies. We continue our strategy of making larger focused investments and anticipate total investments up to USD 30 million per company over its life.
We make equity investments in Biotechnology/Biopharma life sciences companies. NVF is stage agnostic and engages in seed investments as well as later-stage investments. We typically lead or co-lead an investment and play an active role on company boards.
The Novartis Venture Fund has investments across various therapeutic areas. We seek companies that are truly innovative, have the potential to offer significant patient benefit, have excellent management and are capital-efficient.
In total, our current portfolio companies have 21 clinical programs in Phase 1 or Phase 2.
Autoimmune, Immunology, Transplantation | 4 1 |
Cardiovascular, Metabolism | 1 1 |
Dermatology | 2 |
Hematology | 1 2 |
Infectious Diseases | 7 3 3 |
Nephrology | 1 |
Neuroscience | 4 1 2 |
Ophtalmology | 3 1 1 |
Oncology | 12 2 3 |
Respiratory | 2 |
Woman's Health | 1 |
Pre-Clinical Phase I Phase II |
Autoimmune, Immunology, Transplantation | 4 1 |
Cardiovascular, Metabolism | 1 1 |
Dermatology | 2 |
Hematology | 1 2 |
Infectious Diseases | 7 3 3 |
Nephrology | 1 |
Neuroscience | 4 1 2 |
Ophtalmology | 3 1 1 |
Oncology | 12 2 3 |
Respiratory | 2 |
Woman's Health | 1 |
Pre-Clinical Phase I Phase II |
Physicians use a combination of technologies to produce the best clinical outcome. The challenges and opportunities in healthcare are multi-factorial. Our fund looks broadly to invest in all types of healthcare innovation that will to serve clinical need. The Novartis Venture Fund has invested in medical technologies and diagnostics since its inception in 1996. Our device investments are led by Steven Weinstein in our Cambridge office. We currently have targeted 20% of our fund to medical device, diagnostics and other healthcare-related information technology opportunities.
Our definition of medical technologies is broad. The NVF seeks opportunities that can change the practice of medicine, produce meaningful patient benefit, or reduce costs of medical care. We look for underserved indications, or where a company’s technology enables a new treatment paradigm. In today’s more cost-conscious healthcare environment, we also look for companies whose technologies allow the healthcare system to reduce overall cost while maintaining or improving outcomes. Our investment strategy is stage agnostic (seed to growth capital) and we are happy to lead an investment, and invest globally.
Advanced Animal Diagnostics, Inc.:
On-farm diagnostics platform to detect disease states and optimize overall health status of production animals.
Atlas Genetics, Ltd.:
Molecular diagnostic system for the ultra-rapid diagnosis of a broad range of infectious diseases.
Autonomic Technologies, Inc.:
Implantable neurostimulation device for severe headaches such as cluster headaches and migraines.
BioNano Genomics, Inc.:
Genome mapping platform using nanochannel technology to visualize whole genomes of any organism, including humans.
Genedata AG:
Computational solutions for drug discovery and systems biology research.
Symetis AG:
Trans-apical and trans-femoral cardiac valve replacement.
Bart Dzikowski is the Head of Legal for NVF in Basel, Switzerland. During his time with Novartis, he has served as the Head of Corporate Legal M&A (a.i.) and as Senior Business Development & Licensing/M&A Counsel. Before joining Novartis in 2009, Bart was Vice President with the Investment Banking Division of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch in New York and, before that, he was an associate with the Corporate/M&A Group at the law firm of Allen & Overy LLP in New York. Bart holds degrees in common law (LL.B.) and civil law (B.C.L.) from McGill Law School in Canada and is a member of the New York State Bar. Bart is an observer on the board of Enterprise Therapeutics.
Portfolio companies
Enterprise Therapeutics (Observer)
Dr. Markus Goebel is a Managing Director in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, he worked as Head Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporate M&A and Head Nervous System Business Development & Licensing. A physician by training and certified, amongst others, in hematology/oncology, Markus worked for Farmitalia Germany and later held several positions in R&D, Marketing and Strategy at Roche headquarters before joining Novartis. Markus received an MD and a PhD from the Ludwig Maximilian’s University in Munich and an MBA from Henley. Markus serves on the board of eFFECTOR, E-scape and Macrolide
Portfolio companies
Macrolide (Board Seat) eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. (Board Seat) E-Scape Bio (Board Seat)
Exits
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) EraGen Biosciences, Inc. (Acquired by Luminex Corporation) FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Acquired by Pfizer) Intellikine, Inc. (Acquired by Takeda) LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Acquired by Takeda) Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RARX) Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) Xenoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: XNPT)
Florent Gros is a Managing Director in Basel, Switzerland. Prior to joining NVF, he worked in various global leadership positions in intellectual property and transaction matters at Nestlé, Pasteur Merieux Connaught (Sanofi Pasteur) and Novartis, in Europe and North America. Florent is a Kaufmann Fellow (2012) and holds a Biotechnology Engineering Masters Degree from France, and did his diploma thesis on vaccines at GSK in Belgium. He also holds European and French patent lawyer degrees and a Masters in Private Law. Florent serves on the boards of Adicet, Anokion SA, Atlas Genetics, Inflazome, Kanyos, Vivet, and Oculis.
Portfolio companies
Adicet Bio, Inc. (Board Seat) Anokion SA (Board Seat) Atlas Genetics, Ltd (Board Seat) Inflazome (Board Seat) Kanyos Bio, Inc. (Board Seat) Oculis (Board Seat) Vivet Therapeutics (Board Seat)
Exits
Evolva AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: EVE) Neovacs SA (Alternext Paris: ALNEV) Okairos AG (Acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) Cellerix BV (Merger with Tigenix BV, NYSE Euronext: TIG) Gensight (EURONEXT: SIGHT) Merus Biopharmaceuticals BV (NASDAQ:MRUS)
Dr. Anja König is the Global Head of the NVF in Basel, Switzerland. Previously, she was a Managing Director at NVF investing in Switzerland, U.K. and the rest of Europe as well as Asia/Pacific. Prior to joining NVF, she was an Associate Partner at McKinsey and Company in New York, where she worked with healthcare companies in the US, Europe and Emerging Markets. Anja holds a PhD in physics from Cornell University. She serves on the boards of Bicycle Therapeutics, F2G, Forendo Pharm, Cutiss and Anaveon. Anja is active in the Swiss startup ecosystem and is a member of the board of the University of Zurich Life Sciences Fund, the evaluation panel of the Bridge Grant POC program of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the CTI, the selection committee of BaseLaunch and serves as a coach with the ETH Pioneer Labs program.
Portfolio companies
Bicycle Therapeutics, Ltd. (Board Seat) F2G, Ltd. (Board Seat) Forendo Pharma, Ltd. (Board Seat) Cutiss (Board Seat) Anaveon (Board Seat)
Exits
Covagen AG (Acquired by J&J) Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd (Acquired by Sosei) Nabriva Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: NBRV) Qurient Therapeutics (KOSDAQ: 115180)
Dr. Campbell Murray is a Managing Director in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, he worked at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research as the Director of Special Projects. Campbell is a New Zealand-trained physician and worked as a Medical House Officer at Auckland Hospital. He is a Kauffman Fellow and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPP (public policy) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he was a Knox Fellow and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Campbell serves on the boards of Annexon, Galera, and Lemonaid Health. Campbell serves on the boards of Annexon, Expansion Therapeutics, Galera, and Lemonaid Health.
Portfolio companies
Annexon, Inc. (Board Seat) Expansion Therapeutics (Board Seat) Galera Therapeutics, Inc. (Board Seat) Lemonaid Health, Inc. (Board Seat)
Exits
Aerpio Therapeutics, Inc. Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKBA) Alios BioPharma, Inc. (Acquired by J&J) Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TKAI) Neurovance, Inc. (Acquired by Otsuka)
Dr. David Morris is a Venture Partner in San Francisco, CA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, he held multiple leadership roles in the Novartis Pharmaceuticals development organization including the Development Franchise Head of Respiratory, Development Franchise Head of Primary Care and, most recently, Global Head of Clinical Operations, Analytics and Regions where he was responsible for clinical trials operations and monitoring, statistics, data management, medical writing, submissions management and digital innovation. Prior to joining Novartis in 2009, David worked in drug discovery and translational medicine at Roche in Palo Alto, California. Before joining industry, he was a faculty member at Yale University Medical School and, prior to that, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical School. David received his Bachelors and Medical Degrees with distinction from the University of Rochester Medical School and trained in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSF. He did his postdoctoral research training at the Lung Biology Center and Cardiovascular Research Institute at UCSF. Dave serves as a director on the boards of Autonomic Technologies, Enterprise Therapeutics, and NeuroVia and is an observer of eFFECTOR and Inflazome.
Portfolio companies
Autonomic Technologies, Inc. (Board Seat) eFFECTOR (Observer) Inflazome (Observer) NeuroVia, Inc. (Board Seat) Enterprise Therapeutics (Board Seat)
Dr. Florian Muellershausen is a Principal in Basel, Switzerland. Prior to joining Novartis Venture Fund, he worked as a Scientific Manager for the R&D Committee of the Novartis Board of Directors and, before that held various scientific and drug discovery roles at the Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research (NIBR) including as Laboratory Head in target discovery and in early clinical research as Translational Medicine Expert, Autoimmunity. Florian received his MSc degree in Biochemistry from Free University Berlin and his PhD degree with great distinction in Biochemistry from Ruhr University Bochum and completed his post-doctoral training at NIBR in Switzerland. Florian is an observer of Forendo.
Portfolio companies
Forendo ( Observer)
Dr. Aaron Nelson is a Principal in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, he was an investor at dRx Capital, the joint investment company of Novartis and Qualcomm, focused on Digital Medicine. dRx catalyzes the success of digital medicine products, services, and business models by investing in early-stage companies and leveraging networks in Pharma, Mobile/IT, and the investment community. Previously, Aaron worked on technology strategy across multiple Business Units within Novartis, including Strategic Project Leader for the Trials of The Future program and Group Head in the Investigative Toxicology organization. Aaron studied medicine at Tufts University, cell and microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania and the Karolinska Institutet, and completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University. Aaron serves as a director on the board of Rox Medical and is an observer on the boards of Cavion and Lemonaid Health.
Portfolio companies
Cavion (Observer) Lemonaid Health (Observer) ROX (Board Seat)
Michal Silverberg is a Managing Director in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, she was a Senior Director for External Innovation at Takeda Ventures and, before that, worked at Novo Nordisk in roles of increasing responsibility including as Senior Director Business Development and New Product Commercialization, serving as a member of the BioPharm leadership team. Since 1998, Michal has held positions in various sectors of the life science industry including in the Office of the Chief Scientist of Israel (The Incubator program), venture capital (Ofer Brothers Hi Tech) and global pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including various positions at MGVS, an Israeli biotech company and at OSI Pharmaceuticals in a business development role. She received her B.A. in Economics and Business Management from Haifa University, her M.B.A from Tel-Aviv University in Israel and her Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Columbia University in New York. Michal serves as a director on the boards of Cavion, Forma Therapeutics, Galera Therapeutics, Inc. and Viamet Therapeutics and is an observer on the board of NeuroVia.
Portfolio companies
Cavion (Board Seat) FORMA (Board Seat) Galera Therapeutics (Board Seat) NeuroVia (Observer) Viamet (Board Seat)
Juliette Audet is a Senior Associate in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, she worked at Novartis Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Manager of Global Pharma Strategy in Basel, Switzerland, and, before that, she was a consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York and Geneva, Switzerland. Juliette holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s degree in Physics (majoring in plasma physics and neuroscience) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Juliette is an observer on the board of Annexon.
Portfolio companies
Annexon (Observer)
Prof. Patrick Aebischer is President emeritus of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a member of its Brain Mind Institute. Patrick Aebischer trained as an MD (1980) and a Neuroscientist (1983) at the Universities of Geneva and Fribourg in Switzerland. Prior to joining EPFL, he held Faculty positions at Brown University and the University of Lausanne. He has received numerous honors, including the Robert Bing Prize of the Swiss Academy of Medicine and the Pfizer Foundation Prize for Clinical Neurosciences. He serves as a Senate Member of the "Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen” (DZNE). He is a member of the scientific committee of the Italian Institute of Technology and a member of the Singapore Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council. Prof. Aebischer is a member of the Board of Lonza, Nestlé and Logitech and a founder of three biotech companies. He is a senior partner of NanoDimension-III.
Professor School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL); former Director of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC); Director of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) in Molecular Oncology.
Prof. Paul Herrling is Vice-President of the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Rat) and Professor for Drug Discovery Science at the Philosophisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Prof. Herrling also holds a number of memberships in various boards including the Board of the Novartis Institute for Functional Genomics, the Board of Trustees Foundation for NIH and the Board of Trustees at the University of Basel. He also serves as member of the Scientific Advisory Committee – Drugs for Neglected Diseases (DNDi), of the Advisory Board of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel and of the Scientific Advisory Boards of H3D, Medidata and of the Human Brain Project of the European Union. Prof. Paul Herrling was global Head of Research of Novartis Pharma AG and a member of the Novartis Pharma Executive Board.
Harry Kirsch is the Chief Financial Officer of Novartis and a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. Prior to his current position, he served as CFO of the company’s Pharmaceuticals Division. Under his leadership, the division’s core operating income margin increased, in constant currencies, every quarter of 2011 and 2012 despite patent expirations. Harry joined Novartis in 2003 from Procter & Gamble in the United States, where he was a CFO of P&G’s global pharmaceutical business and held various finance positions at divisional, regional, country and manufacturing site level, as well as in P&G Global Business Services organization. Harry also represents Novartis on the board of the GSK Consumer Healthcare joint venture. Harry holds a degree in industrial engineering and economics from the University of Karlsruhe in Germany.
Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry, Collège de France, Paris, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
Director of Research, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Dr. Christoph A. Meier is the Chief Medical Officer at the University Hospital Basel and Professor at the Medical Faculty of the University of Geneva. Prior to his current role, he was the Chief of the Department of Internal Medicine & Specialties and a member of the Board of Directors at Triemli Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, as well as Chief of Endocrinology and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology at the University Hospital Geneva. Dr. Meier received his Medical Degree from the University of Basel in Switzerland and holds his Swiss Board Certification (FMH) in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology & Diabetology. Dr. Meier completed his medical residency at the University Hospital of Geneva and was a a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in the Molecular, Cellular Nutritional Endocrinology Branch in Bethesda, MD (USA). He was also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Physician Fellow at the Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, as well as a Clinical Fellow in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Raj Parekh is General Partner at Advent Life Sciences in London, UK. He joined Advent in 2005 bringing over 20 years of experience in biomedical research and as an entrepreneur and investor. After gaining an M.A. and D.Phil. degrees from Oxford University, Dr. Parekh pursued a successful academic career in molecular medicine before co-founding Oxford GlycoSciences (IPO on LSE and NASDAQ). Following its sale to UCB-Celltech, he became Chairman of Galapagos and a founding Director of Celldex Therapeutics. He has been involved with portfolio companies primarily engaged in the discovery of new medicines, including Avila, EUSA and Thiakis. Dr. Parekh currently serves on the board of several portfolio companies including Arrakis, Aura Biosciences and Levicept.
Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Member, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
Dr. Beat Steffen is a Principal in Basel, Switzerland. Prior to joining Novartis Venture Fund, he worked at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in commercial roles in the US and in Switzerland launching several products mainly in the cardiovascular area. Beat joined Novartis from Wellington Partners Venture Capital where he worked with biotech and medical device startup companies. Prior to that, he was at McKinsey & Company in Zurich working with clients in the pharmaceutical industry. Beat is a Swiss-trained physician having focused in cardiovascular surgery and intensive care. He graduated from the University of Zurich Medical School and qualified as a Medical Doctor in Basel. Beat holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD. Beat serves on the boards of Aelin Therapeutics, and the University of Zurich Life Sciences Fund.
Portfolio companies
Aelin Therapeutics (Board Seat)
http://www.enterprisetherapeutics.com/
Enterprise Therapeutics is a drug discovery company dedicated to the research and development of novel therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases.
Expansion Therapeutics is a drug discovery and development company pursuing the vast potential of small molecule medicines for RNA-mediated diseases.
Oculis is a clinical –stage, privately held, pharmaceutical development company focusing on opthalmic drugs and novel drug delivery to the eye.
Aelin Therapeutics is pioneering a novel modality in drug development, branded Pept-ins™, to harness the power of protein aggregation to specifically induce functional knockdown of a target protein in order to create a completely new class of antibiotics and first-in-class therapeutics against high-value undruggable human targets.
Lemonaid Health is leading a second wave of telehealth where technology algorithms power quality care. Lemonaid leverages evidence-based guidelines and the most up-to-date clinical protocols to offer a service direct to consumer for less than typical co-pays. Lemonaid is focused on creating a revolutionized patient experience and improving and optimizing clinical care through the advancements in machine learning and AI.
http://www.vivet-therapeutics.com/
Vivet Therapeutics SAS is addressing current gene therapy limitations and focusing on the discovery and clinical development of gene therapy for liver inherited metabolic diseases as well as for protein replacement therapy. A treatment of the Wilson’s disease has entered GMP manufacturing and IND enabling studies. Additional programs are being developed, including for treatment of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis and Citrulinemia.
http://www.allocyte-pharmaceuticals.com/
AlloCyte develops selective, non-agonistic small molecule integrin inhibitors (integrin "silencers") to treat severe immune-mediated diseases. AlloCyte's lead indication is non-infectious posterior uveitis, a sight-threatening orphan disease.
http://www.advancedanimaldiagnostics.com
Advanced Animal Diagnostics is an animal health diagnostics company, developing highly accurate, rapid on-farm diagnostics. The QScout® line of on-farm diagnostics will detect disease states at an early stage and optimize management of the reproductive, nutritional and overall health status of production animals, beginning with the dairy cow. The company’s platform diagnostic technology is designed to enhance the profitability of livestock production, improve animal welfare, and ensure a safe, abundant supply of animal protein.
Adicet Bio, Inc. is using it’s novel immune cell therapy platform in combination with its wholly owned subsidiary, Applied Immune Technologies, Ltd.’s T-Cell Receptor-Like (TCRL) antibody platform that are targeted to intracellular-derived peptides to develop novel immunotherapies for inflammatory, autoimmune and infectious diseases as well as cancer.
http://www.amp-therapeutics.com/
AMP was founded in 2009 as a spin-out from Prof. Ralf Hoffmann’s laboratory at the University of Leipzig. AMP is developing the next generation of broad-spectrum Gram-negative antibiotics for the treatment of drug-resistant infections. It has been estimated that approximately 30-40% of all hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections worldwide are caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-negative pathogens are highly genetically flexible and thus develop resistance mechanisms that render most of the current therapies ineffective.
Anokion is developing targeted therapeutics by retraining white blood cells to induce therapeutic antigen-specific immune tolerance. Their technology uses the body’s natural immune regulation by engineering proteins to be perceived as "self" entities to treat autoimmune and allergic diseases and to reduce the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins.
Atlas is developing the io® platform, a highly novel molecular diagnostic system for the ultra-rapid diagnosis of a broad range of infectious diseases using either nucleic acid or immunoassays. The system is fast, ultra-sensitive and designed for use in decentralized laboratories, point-of-care and other near-patient settings, providing a laboratory accurate test result in about 30 minutes.
Autonomic Technologies is developing a miniaturized implantable neurostimulation device to provide rapid relief from the debilitating pain and suffering caused by severe headaches such as cluster headaches and migraines.
http://www.bicycletherapeutics.com
Bicycle has a platform technology to create biotherapeutics combining features of small molecules and biopharmaceuticals. Bicycle Therapeutics is a spin-out from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology based on the work of the founding scientists Sir Gregory Winter and Prof. Christian Heinis.
http://www.bionanogenomics.com/
BioNano has developed the Irys genome mapping platform using nanochannel technology to visualize whole genomes of any organism, including humans. By capturing extremely long DNA molecules at high resolution (hundreds of kilobases vs. single nucleotides), Irys delivers genome maps that provide novel insight into structural variations, such as translocations, amplifications and deletions, that underlies phenotypic variation. The Irys platform can reveal relevant mutations in complex genomes filling the gap between the available cytogenetics and next-generation sequencing/microarray technologies to further advance genome research.
Cavion is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company committed to providing patients with therapies for neurologic diseases and cancer through the development of drugs that selectively inhibit the T-type calcium channel (Cav3).
eFFECTOR is pioneering a new class of small molecule drugs that act by selectively regulating translation (protein synthesis). The company unites novel insights into the mechanisms of translational control with a proven approach to product invention. eFFECTOR is pursuing selective translation regulators to restore homeostasis to the translation landscape, thereby reversing the consequences of disregulation and offering treatment for a variety of serious conditions.
E-scape is developing therapeutics against genetic targets for neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Disease. E-scape’s small molecule approach binds to mutated protein targets and alters protein structure to mimic wild type functionality.
F2G is a UK biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel drugs to treat life threatening fungal diseases. F2G is advancing its F3 series of anti-mold compounds. This is a novel class of anti-fungal agent, which acts through a completely new mechanism different from all currently marketed drugs. The F3 series displays highly potent activity against clinically relevant aspergilli and many other important pathogenic molds.
Forendo is a drug discovery and development company with core competence in tissue specific regulation of sex hormone effects. Its two first-in-class product candidates are in preclinical development with the potential to offer significant therapeutic benefits in men’s and women’s health.
http://www.formatherapeutics.com
Forma targets essential cancer pathways to create small molecule cancer therapies. Forma leverages the integration of its innovative drug discovery technologies and oncology expertise, enabling efficient screening, discovery and rational development of drug candidates with qualified cellular mechanisms of action. Forma is building a robust pipeline of cancer therapies in areas such as tumor metabolism, proteinprotein interactions and epigenetics.
Galera is a clinical stage drug development company with a portfolio of small molecule superoxide dismutase activators. Superoxide, a product of normal cellular oxygen metabolism and certain environmental stresses, is harmful to DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids. This highly reactive molecule is managed by superoxide dismutases (SODs), but the SOD enzyme is deficient in certain disease states. Galera’s technology replaces this loss of function. The company is initially focusing on radiation-induced mucositis, cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.
Genedata provides computational solutions for drug discovery and systems biology research with a combination of software products and professional services that have been developed in partnership with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
http://www.gensight-biologics.com
GenSight Biologics is focused on the development of gene therapies in ophthalmic diseases to prevent retinal degeneration in selected pathological conditions and to restore vision in patients suffering from very low vision or blindness.
ImaginAb has a proprietary antibody fragment platform that yields molecular information to guide treatment decisions in cancer and immunology by in vivo imaging. ImaginAb also collaborates with biopharmaceutical partners to design imaging agents as companion diagnostics for therapeutic antibodies.
Inflazome is developing first in class, orally available drugs to address clinical unmet needs by targeting activation of the inflammasome. The company has proprietary new chemical entities that inhibit inflammasome-driven release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that exacerbate inflammation. In addition, they block innate immune cell pyroptosis (uncontrolled cell death), a process that leads to chronic inflammation.
Innocrin is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing novel, “best-in-class” oral, CYP17 lyase inhibitors for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and potentially other hormonally-driven conditions such as breast cancer, endometriosis, or congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
http://intersectionmedical.com
Intersection is developing a device to help monitor and manage patients in acute decompensated heart failure. A large and growing cost driver for healthcare systems, acute decompensated heart failure and related hospital re-admissions is a growing area of focus globally. Intersection looks to improve patient outcomes, inform the treatment paradigm, and reduce costs for healthcare systems.
Kanyos and was founded with the goal of developing antigen-specific immune tolerance technology for two specific autoimmune indications, type-1 diabetes and celiac disease. The technology originates from EPFL and consists of transporting antigens onto the surface of erythrocytes, enabling specific antigen T cell depletion.
http://www.merganserbiotech.com
Merganser Biotech is developing new medicines that increase hepcidin activity for the treatment of rare hematological and iron overload diseases. Hepcidin is the master regulator of iron metabolism and controls iron absorption from the diet and iron transfer around the body. Hepcidin deficiency causes iron overload, leading to heart and liver damage and may contribute to the severity of ineffective erythropoiesis and anemia in beta thalassemia. Merganser's hepcidin mimetic peptides prevent iron accumulation and reduce the severity of ineffective erythropoiesis in preclinical models of beta thalassemia.
Macrolide is an anti-infective company founded to advance new technology developed by Professor Andrew Myers at Harvard University. Current macrolide antibiotics, such as erythromycin and azithromycin, are less effective due to increase bacterial resistance. Macrolide’s technology enables the total synthesis of virtually any macrolide providing novel next generation macrolide antibiotics.
Merus leverages its proprietary antibody platform to generate full-length bi-specific IgG antibodies (Biclonics®) for oncology. The technology platform leverages fixed VL chains to produce functional monoclonal and bi-specific antibodies in a single cell. Merus has also developed an innovative transgenic mice platform (MeMo®) and state-of-the-art phage display libraries of human Fab fragments to generate panels of common light chain antibodies.
MyoPowers is developing a class III medical implant for the treatment of severe urinary incontinence in males and females, one of the largest under developed therapeutic areas today. MyoPowers aims to enter into CE-enabling clinical studies in the near-term.
Neurovance is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Neurovance’s clinical stage EB-1020 for adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a norepinephrine and dopaminepreferring triple reuptake inhibitor that is expected to be effective for adult ADHD without the addiction potential of other ADHD drugs.
NeuroVia is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for orphan disease with significant unmet medical need.
Opsona is a drug development company focused on novel therapeutic and preventative approaches to inflammatory and related diseases. Opsona has a pipeline of therapeutics in advanced preclinical development that modulates the innate immune system, including biologics and small molecules that target TLR-2 and Nalp-3. Opsona has started Phase 2b clinical studies with the TLR-2 monoclonal antibody to prevent delayed graft function in kidney transplant.
Ra uses proprietary combinatorial assembly and in vitro display technologies to discover macrocyclic compounds with enhanced bioavailability targeting a wide range of intracellular, cell-surface, and circulating proteins. Ra’s initial focus is on orally available replacements for a variety of marketed biologics, as well as drugs targeting intracellular protein-protein interactions.
Trellis is leveraging its proprietary CellSpotTM technology to deliver higher quality therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. The company has programs in infectious disease.
Altimmune is a clinical stage immunotherapeutic biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel products that engage, stimulate and improve immune responses for the prevention and treatment of disease. By leveraging the complementary attributes of its two innovative vaccine delivery platforms, RespirVec™ and Densigen™, Altimmune is able to rationally design and rapidly develop immunotherapeutic products tailored to address the a wide range of disease indications including acute respiratory infections, chronic viral infections and cancer with fundamental advantages over competing products.
Viamet is a clinical stage biotechnology company that discovers and develops “best-in-class” small molecule inhibitors of validated metalloenzymes via an innovative metal binding approach, its proprietary Metallophile® Technology. The company develops traditional small molecule compounds that exploit validated metalloenzyme targets in the field of infectious disease.
Rox Medical is developing an innovative interventional vascular therapy for uncontrolled hypertension. This therapy is intended to reduce peripheral vascular resistance and add a compliant venous element to the arterial system through creation of a therapeutic arteriovenous anastomosis with the ROX Coupler.
Annexon is developing disease modifying therapeutics to protect neuronal connections (synapses) that are lost in nearly all forms of neurodegenerative disease. Annexon’s platform is focused on inhibiting C1q as the initiating molecule of the complement cascade responsible for aberrantly binding to functional synapses and triggering their elimination in neurodegenerative diseases. This pathway is also well known to contribute to pathology in a number of autoimmune diseases of the nervous system. Annexon’s lead molecule, ANX005, effectively blocks this pathway and will have broad therapeutic application in both acute and chronic neurological diseases. Annexon’s initial focus will be in acute peripheral immune-mediated disorders.
Aileron Therapeutics completed a public offering (NASDAQ: ALRN) in 2017.
Gensight Biologics completed a public offering (EURONEXT: SIGHT) in 2016.
Merus completed a public offering (NASDAQ: MRUS) in 2016.
Ra Pharmaceuticals completed a public offering (NASDAQ: RARX) in 2016.
Neurovance was acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in 2017.
Aerpio Therapeutics completed a public offering (OTCQB:ARPO) in 2017.
Nabriva completed a public offering (NASDAQ: NBRV) in 2015.
Akebia Therapeutics completed a public offering (NASDAQ: AKBA) in 2014.
Alios BioPharma was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2014.
Celladon completed a public offering (NASDAQ: CLDN) in 2014.
Covagen was acquired by Cilag CmbH, an affiliate of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, in 2014.
Tokai Pharmaceuticals completed a public offering (NASDAQ: TKAI) in 2014.
Okairos was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in 2013.
Avila Therapeutics was acquired by Celgene Corp. in 2012.
Intellikine was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. in 2012.
LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. In 2012.
Pharmasset was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2012.
Cellerix completed a reverse merger into listed Tigenix BV (NYSE: TIG) in 2011.
EraGen Biosciences was acquired by Luminex Corporation in 2011.
Cequent Pharmaceuticals was acquired by MDRNA (now Marina Biotech) in 2010.
Evolva Holding completed a reverse merger into listed Arpida AG (SIX: EVE) in 2010.
FoldRx Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2010.
Neovacs completed a public offering (Alternext Paris: ALNEV) in 2010.
Ablation Frontiers was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. in 2009.
EsbaTech was acquired by Alcon in 2009.
Swiss Pharma Contract was acquired by Covance, Inc. in 2009.
Visiogen was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in 2009.
Adenosine Therapeutics was acquired by Clinical Data, Inc. in 2008.
Aeglea Biotherapeutics completed a public offering (NASDAQ: AGLE) in 2016.
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals completed a public offering (NASDAQ: SIRT) in 2007 and was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in 2008.
Speedel Holding completed a public offering (SWX: SPPN) in 2005 and was acquired by Novartis in 2008.
Acorda Therapeutics completed a public offering (NASDAQ: ACOR) in 2006.
Infinity Pharmaceuticals completed a reverse merger into Discovery Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) in 2006.
KuDOS Pharmaceuticals was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2006.
Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd was acquired by Sosei Group Corporation in 2015.
Miikana Therapeutics was acquired by EntreMed, Inc. (now CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in 2006.
Symetis was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2017.
Syrxx was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. In 2006.
Torrey Pines Therapeutics completed a reverse merger into Axonyx (NASDAQ: TPTX) in 2006.
CombinatorRx completed a public offering (NASDAQ: CRXX) in 2005.
GlycArt Biotechnology was acquired by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. In 2005.
Silence Therapeutics completed a public offering (LON: SLN) in 2005.
Transform Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2005.
Xenoport completed a public offering (NASDAQ: XNPT) in 2005.
Eyetech Pharmaceuticals completed a public offering (NASDAQ: EYET) in 2004.
Idenix Pharmaceuticals completed a public offering (NASDAQ: IDIX) in 2004.
Kinetix Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Amgen in 2004.
Theravance completed a public offering (NASDAQ: THRX) in 2004.
Cytos Biotechnology completed a public offering (SWX: CYTN) in 2002.
IsoTis OrthoBiologics completed a public offering (SWX: ISON) in 2000.
Discovery Technologies was acquired by Discovery Partners in 1999.
Proteostasis Therapeutics completed a public offering (NASDAQ: PTI) in 2016.
Altimmune, Inc. completed a reverse merger into listed PharmAthene, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALT) in 2017.
We are stage agnostic (seed to commercial companies) and invest in multiple therapeutic areas where there is clear unmet medical need. Our first step in the process is to review non-confidential information about the company, team, technology / data, financial and exit plan. The further evaluation of business proposals is then based on confidential presentations by the management team that starts the full due diligence process.
Investments by the Novartis Venture Fund are made as equity participation typically as the lead or co-lead investor in a syndicate with a board seat.
Please contact one of our offices closest to the company site for an initial review. We have offices in Basel, Switzerland and Cambridge, MA, USA and entrepreneurs should contact the office closest to their company.
About Cookies | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © Novartis Venture Fund 2014
Cookies are small text files that are sent to your computer when you visit a website. Cookies on Novartis Group company (Novartis) web sites do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences and generally improving your experience of a website.
The EU Directive 2009/136/EC states that we can store cookies on your machine, if they are essential to the operation of this site, but that for all others we need your permission to do so.
Novartis sites can use some non-essential cookies. We do not do this to track individual users or to identify them, but to gain useful knowledge about how the sites are used so that we can keep improving them for our users. Without the knowledge we gain from the systems that use these cookies we would not be able to provide the service we do.
If you decide to set the language, font-size or specific version of the site (e.g. high-contrast), we use “user interface customization cookies”. Once set, you do not need to specify your preferences again on another visit to the site.
If you use parts of the site that require registration to access content, we will place an “authentication cookie” on your computer. This allows you to leave and return to these parts of the site without re-authenticating yourself.
If you have Adobe Flash installed on your computer (most computers do) and you use video players, we store a “flash cookie” on your computer. These cookies are used to store data needed to play back video or audio content and store the user’s preferences.
Novartis likes to understand how visitors use our websites by using web analytics services. They count the number of visitors and tell us things about the visitors’ behaviour overall – such as identifying the search engine keywords that lead the user to the site, the typical length of stay on the site or the average number of pages a user views. For this purpose we place a “first party analytics cookie” on your computer.
We may also use services such as Google Analytics to track web statistics. In this case, Google will place a “3rd party cookie” on your computer. This is also the case when we use Google Maps.
Any data collected by using these cookies will be stored and managed by Novartis or one of its trusted affiliates in countries Novartis operates in.
For more information or how to contact Novartis, please refer to the Privacy Policy.
If you don’t want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.
If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies which are set on your device then you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how. Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.
This Privacy Statement describes the ways in which we, Novartis AG, collect, hold and use information about individual persons who visit this website. BY USING THIS WEBSITE, YOU CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION AND USE OF INFORMATION AS SET FORTH IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY. YOU ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NOVARTIS AG MAY PERIODICALLY CHANGE, MODIFY, ADD OR REMOVE OR OTHERWISE UPDATE THIS PRIVACY POLICY AT ITS DISCRETION, WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION. However, we will always handle your Personal Information in accordance with the Privacy Policy that was in effect at the time of collection. It is our intention to post changes to our privacy policy on this page so that you are fully informed concerning the types of information we are gathering, how we use it, and under what circumstances it may be disclosed. Our Privacy Policy is located on our homepage and is also available on any page where Personal Data are requested. At such data collection points, further explanation may be provided, where appropriate, as to the purposes for which the data will be used.
The term "Personal Data" as used in this Privacy Policy refers to information such as your name, birth date, e-mail address, mailing address, or telephone number that can be used to identify you. Generally, we will only process your Personal Data as described in this Privacy Policy. However, we reserve the right, to conduct additional processing to the extent permitted or required by law, or in support of any legal or criminal investigation.
The next sections explain how and when we collect Personal Data from you.
Most of our services do not require any form of registration, allowing you to visit our site without telling us who you are. However, some services may require you to provide us with Personal Data. In these situations, if you choose to withhold any Personal Data requested by us, it may not be possible for you to gain access to certain parts of the site and for us to respond to your query.
We may collect and use Personal Data to provide you with products or services, to bill you for products and services you request, to market products and services which we think may be of interest to you, or to communicate with you for other purposes which are evident from the circumstances or about which we inform you when we collect Personal Data from you.
We will not sell, share, or otherwise distribute your Personal Data to third parties except as provided in this Privacy Policy. We may disclose your Personal Data to other Novartis affiliates worldwide that agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Personal Data may also be transferred to third parties who act for or on our behalf, for further processing in accordance with the purpose(s) for which the data were originally collected or may otherwise be lawfully processed, such as services delivery, evaluating the usefulness of this website, marketing, data management or technical support. These third parties have contracted with us to only use Personal Data for the agreed upon purpose, and not to sell your Personal Information to third parties, and not to disclose it to third parties except as may be required by law, as permitted by us or as stated in this Privacy Policy.
Personal Data collected from you may also be transferred to a third party in the event that the business of this site or a part of it and the customer data connected with it is sold, assigned or transferred, in which case we would require the buyer, assignee or transferee to treat Personal Data in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Also, Personal Data may be disclosed to a third party if we are required to do so because of an applicable law, court order or governmental regulation, or if such disclosure is otherwise necessary in support of any criminal or other legal investigation or proceeding here or abroad.
Whenever we process Personal Data, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your Personal Data is kept accurate and up-to date for the purposes for which it was collected. We will provide you with the ability to object to the processing of your Personal Data if such processing is not reasonably required for a legitimate business purpose as described in this policy or our compliance with law. In the case of electronic direct marketing, we will provide you with a method to opt out of receiving further marketing materials or with a method to opt in if required by law. If you wish to contact us regarding our use of your Personal Data or object to the processing of your Personal Data, please email us at corporate.enquiries@group.novartis.com. If you contact us, please note the name of the website where you provided the information, as well as the specific information you would like us to correct, update or delete plus a proper identification of you. Requests to delete personal data will be subject to any applicable legal and ethical reporting or document filing or retention obligations imposed on us.
To ensure the security and confidentiality of Personal Data that we collect online, we use data networks protected, inter alia, by industry standard firewall and password protection. In the course of handling your Personal Data, we take measures reasonably designed to protect that information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.
We are part of the Novartis Group which is a global group of companies and has databases in different countries, some of which are operated by the local Novartis Group Company, and some of which are operated by third parties on behalf of the local Novartis Group Company. We may transfer your data to one of the Group's databases outside your country of domicile, potentially including countries which may not require an adequate level of protection for your Personal Data compared with that provided in your country.
However, Novartis has adopted Binding Corporate Rules, a system of principles, rules and tools, provided by European law, in an effort to ensure effective levels of data protection, in particular relating to transfers of personal information outside the EEA and Switzerland. Read more about your rights under the Novartis Binding Corporate Rules.
We may collect and process information about your visit to this website, such as the pages you visit, the website you came from and some of the searches you perform. Such information is used by us to help improve the contents of the site and to compile aggregate statistics about individuals using our site for internal, market research purposes. In doing this, we may install "cookies" that collect the domain name of the user, your internet service provider, your operating system, and the date and time of access. A "cookie" is a small piece of information which is sent to your browser and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies do not damage your computer. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a "cookie," this will enable you to decide if you want to accept it or not. If you do not want us to install cookies, please email us at corporate.enquiries@group.novartis.com. We would like to inform you, however, that if you do not accept you may not be able to use all functionality of your browser software. We may obtain the services of outside parties to assist us in collecting and processing the information described in this Section.
Occasionally, we may use internet tags (also known as action tags, single-pixel GIFs, clear GIFs, invisible GIFs and 1-by-1 GIFs) and cookies at this site and may deploy these tags/cookies through a third-party advertising partner or a web analytical service partner which may be located and store the respective information (including your IP-address) in a foreign country. These tags/cookies are placed on both online advertisements that bring users to this site and on different pages of this site. We use this technology to measure the visitors' responses to our sites and the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns (including how many times a page is opened and which information is consulted) as well as to evaluate your use of this website. The third-party partner or the web analytical service partner may be able to collect data about visitors to our and other sites because of these internet tags/cookies, may compose reports regarding the website’s activity for us and may provide further services which are related to the use of the website and the internet. They may provide such information to other parties if there is a legal requirement that they do so, or if they hire the other parties to process information on their behalf. If you would like more information about web tags and cookies associated with on-line advertising or to opt-out of third-party collection of this information, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative website http://www.networkadvertising.org.
We use Google Analytics to rationalize our portfolio of websites by (i) optimizing traffic to and between corporate websites, and (ii) integrating and optimizing web pages where appropriate. “Google Analytics” is a service offered by Google Inc. “Google” that generates detailed statistics about a website's traffic and traffic sources and measures conversions and sales. Google Analytics uses “cookies” stored on your computer to help analyze how users use our website.
The information generated by the cookies about your use of our website, including your IP address, will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. The IP address, however, will be shortened before being sent to Google and Google can then not use it any more to identify you or your computer. Only in exceptional cases the full IP address will be transmitted to and shortened by Google in the US.
On behalf of us, Google will use the information generated by the cookies for the purpose of evaluating the use of our website, compiling reports on website activity providing us with these reports for analytical purposes.
Google may transfer this information to third parties in case of a statutory obligation or if a third party processes data on behalf of Google. Under no circumstances, Google will combine or associate your IP address with other data stored at Google.
You may prevent or stop the installation and storage of cookies by your browser settings by downloading and installing the free Opt-out Browser Add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. We inform you that in such case you will not be able to wholly use all functions of our website.
By using our website you consent to the processing of any personal data Google will collect on you in the way and for the purpose as described above.
Most of the services available on this site are intended for persons 18 years of age and older. Any individual who requests information about a medicine indicated for use in children must be 18 or over. We will not knowingly collect, use or disclose Personal Data from a minor under the age of 18, without obtaining prior consent from a person with parental responsibility (e.g., a parent or guardian) through direct off-line contact. We will provide the parent with (i) notice of the specific types of personal data being collected from the minor, and (ii) the opportunity to object to any further collection, use, or storage of such information. We abide by laws designed to protect children.
This Privacy Policy applies only to this website, and not to websites owned by third parties. We may provide links to other websites which we believe may be of interest to our visitors. We aim to ensure that such websites are of the highest standard. However, due to the nature of the internet, we cannot guarantee the privacy standards of websites to which we link or be responsible for the contents of sites other than this one, and this Privacy Policy is not intended to be applicable to any linked, non-Novartis site.
If you have any queries or complaints about our compliance with this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to make any recommendations or comments to improve the quality of our Privacy Policy, please email us at corporate.enquiries@group.novartis.com.
Your access to and use of this Site is subject to the following terms and conditions and all applicable laws. By accessing and browsing this Site, you accept, without limitation or qualification, these Terms and Conditions and acknowledge that any other agreements regarding the use of this Site between you and Novartis AG are superseded and of no force or effect.
You may freely browse the Site, but you may only access, download or use information from this Site, including any text, images, audio, and video (the "Information") for your own non-commercial use. You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, repost, or use the Information for commercial purposes, without written permission of Novartis AG. You must retain and reproduce each and every copyright notice or other proprietary rights notice contained in any Information you download. You should assume that everything you see or read on this Site is copyrighted unless otherwise noted and may not be used except as provided in these Terms and Conditions or in the text on the Site without the written permission of Novartis AG. Except as otherwise permitted in this paragraph, Novartis AG neither warrants nor represents that your use of materials displayed on the Site will not infringe rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with Novartis AG. With the exception of the foregoing limited authorization, no license to or right in the Information, or any copyright of Novartis AG or of any other party is granted or conferred to you.
You should assume that all product names appearing on this Site, whether or not appearing in large print, italics or with the trademark symbol are trademarks of Novartis. This Site may also contain or reference patents, proprietary information, technologies, products, processes or other proprietary rights of Novartis AG and/or other parties. No license to or right in any such trademarks, patents, trade secrets, technologies, products, processes and other proprietary rights of Novartis AG and/or other parties is granted to or conferred upon you.
While Novartis AG uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the Information is accurate and up to date, the Information may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. Novartis AG reserves the right to make changes, corrections and/or improvements to the Information, and to the products and programs described in such Information, at any time without notice. Novartis AG makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of any of the Information. Novartis AG assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Site. ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS." NOVARTIS PROVIDES NO WARRANTIES ABOUT THE COMPLETENESS OR ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE OR ITS POSSIBLE USES. CONSEQUENTLY, THE INFORMATION SHOULD BE CAREFULLY EVALUATED BY SITE VISITORS. NEITHER NOVARTIS AG, NOR ANY OTHER NOVARTIS GROUP COMPANY, NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING OR DELIVERING THIS SITE TO YOU SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ACCESS TO, USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SITE, OR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE CONTENT OF THE SITE. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. Novartis AG also assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to, use of the Information. Novartis AG reserves the right to discontinue this Site at any time without notice and without liability.
Except for information covered by our Privacy Policy, any communication or material you transmit to the Site by electronic mail or otherwise, including any data, questions, comments, suggestions or the like is, and will be treated as, non-confidential and nonproprietary. Anything you transmit or post becomes the property of Novartis AG or its affiliates and may be used for any purpose, including, but not limited to, reproduction, disclosure, transmission, publication, broadcast and posting. Furthermore, Novartis AG is free to use, without compensation to you, any ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained in any communication you send to the Site for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to, developing, manufacturing and marketing products using such information.
Nothing on this Site constitutes an invitation or offer to invest or deal in the securities or American Depositary Receipts of Novartis. In particular, actual results and developments may be materially different from any forecast, opinion or expectation expressed on this Site and the past performance of the price of securities must not be relied on as a guide to their future performance.
Novartis AG has not reviewed any or all of the third-party websites which contain links to this Site and is not responsible for the content of any such off-site pages or any other sites linked to the Site. If you wish to link your website to this Site, you may only link to the home page. You may not link to any other pages within this Site without the prior written consent of Novartis AG. Quotation or use of one or more portions of this Site in the site of any third parties without written consent is likewise prohibited.
Links to third-party sites may be provided for the interest or convenience of visitors to this Site. We will endeavor to inform you when you are leaving this Site that the terms of use and privacy policy of the third-party site may be different. However, Novartis AG accepts no liability for links from us to others, and in particular we are not responsible for the accuracy or legality of the content thereof. We accept no liability deriving from a breach or omission in the privacy policies of third parties.
Although Novartis AG may from time to time monitor or review discussions, chats, postings, transmissions, message boards, and the like on the Site, Novartis AG is under no obligation to do so and assumes no responsibility or liability arising from the content of any such locations nor for any error, defamation, libel, slander, omission, falsehood, obscenity, promotional materials, pornography, profanity, danger, privacy disclosure or inaccuracy contained in any information within such locations on the Site. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any unlawful, promotional, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, or profane material or any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law. Novartis AG will fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing Novartis AG to disclose the identity of anyone posting any such information or materials.
If we become aware that you have violated any of the terms and conditions contained in this Legal Statement, we may immediately take corrective action, including preventing the user from using the services offered by Novartis AG and removing any information, data and content put on the Site by the user, at any moment and without notice. If we have been injured by your violation we may, in our sole discretion, seek to recover damages from you.
Novartis AG may at any time revise these Terms and Conditions by updating this posting. You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then current Terms and Conditions to which you are bound.