Industry Leading Pipeline to Bring Novel Treatments to Patients and Sustain Above-Market Growth at Novartis


BASEL, Switzerland, and NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Novartis:


 New positive Phase II data on LAF237 (type-II diabetes), SPP100
 (hypertension), AAE581 (osteoporosis) and QAB149 (asthma and chronic
 obstructive pulmonary disease)

 Build-up of Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research on track for
 completion in second quarter of 2004

 Full pipeline includes 10 new medicines in late-stage development with
 peak sales potential in excess of USD 10 billion and 78 development
 projects in total

At its 2003 R&D Day in New York today Novartis unveils its pharmaceutical pipeline, which has been hailed as one of the strongest in the industry and is focused on attractive market segments and a broad range of unmet medical needs.

Please find full press release under the following link: http://hugin.info/134323/R/925519/126007.pdf