Novartis restructures organisation to support growth and innovation

Novartis has revealed its plans for the launch of a new organisational structure and operating model designed to support its innovation, growth, and product development goals as a focused medicines organisation over the next ten years.

Key to the restructure is the integration of the pharmaceuticals and oncology business units, which will be split into two separate commercial organisations – Innovative Medicines US and Innovative Medicines International.

Both units will assume full P&L responsibility across all therapeutic areas and leadership of customer experience, marketing and sales and market access for each unit’s respective markets.

The new model reinforces Novartis’ focus on its central therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, haematology, solid tumours, immunology and neurosciences.

Novartis will also create a new strategy and growth function to combine corporate strategy, R&D portfolio strategy and business development, to drive its growth strategy and strengthening its drug pipeline.

As part of the restructure, new appointments have been made, including the appointment of Marie-France Tschudin – currently president of Novartis Pharmaceuticals – who will be made president of innovative medicines international and chief commercial officer (CCO). In her role as CCO, Tschudin will oversee medical affairs and value, global marketing and access covering all therapeutic areas.

Victor Bulto – currently head of US Pharmaceuticals – will be appointed as president of innovative medicines US, and both Bulto and Tschudin will both report to Vas Narasimhan, effective immediately.

The company will also integrate its technical operations and customer and technology solutions units to create a new operations unit, which will provide a simpler operational core that can accelerate multiple technology transformation initiatives more efficiently. Steffen Lang, who currently serves as global head of Novartis technical operations, will become president of operations, reporting to Vas Narasimhan, effective immediately.

Novartis has also appointed Dr Shreeram Aradhye as president of global drug development and chief medical officer, effective as of 16 May 2022. Dr Aradhye, who is returning to Novartis, most recently served at Dicerna Therapeutics as its executive vice president and chief medical officer where he led the development of multiple clinical stage RNAi assets.

With the changes in organisational structure and operating model, John Tsai has decided to pursue opportunities outside Novartis as of 15 May 2022.

Alongside its new appointments, Novartis shared the news that Susanne Schaffert, president of Novartis oncology, Robert Weltevreden, president of customer and technology solutions and John Tsai, president of global drug development and chief medical officer, are leaving the company.