Richard Foster

Richard Foster asked about any impact of the Ocrevus subcutaneous launch on Cosentyx in the U.S. and requested details on a new Cosentyx formulation, including treatment interval, BLA status, and potential biosimilar protection.

Answer

CEO Vasant Narasimhan stated that Novartis has not seen an impact from the Ocrevus sub-Q launch on Cosentyx, which is holding share in a growing MS market. He noted that the B-cell class continues to expand, benefiting Cosentyx's volume-driven growth. Regarding lifecycle management, he confirmed progress on a Q2 month formulation trial and exploration of other longer-interval options, but deemed it premature to comment on BLA or biosimilar protection at this point.

Richard Foster asked about any impact of the Ocrevus subcutaneous launch on Cosentyx in the U.S. and sought details on Cosentyx's new formulation, including treatment interval and its potential to protect against biosimilars.

Answer

Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, stated that no impact from the Ocrevus sub-Q launch on Cosentyx has been observed, with Cosentyx holding share in a growing MS market driven by volume. He mentioned advancing a Q2 month formulation and exploring other longer-interval options with novel technologies, but deemed it premature to comment on biosimilar protection at this point.