Daniel Vasella can boast a start in brass band

Although Daniel Vasella calls "predictable" group Novartis, is the surprise prevailing yesterday in Basel when the pattern of Swiss pharmaceuticals giant announced that it was the hand. As early as next Monday, the leader of fifty-six years will give operational commands to Joe Jimenez, fifty years, until then responsible for pharmaceutical operations. The change surprised to the great leaders of the group. Thus David Epstein, the pattern of Oncology, promoted responsible of the pole pharmacy, said learned his new duties Friday...

In the pharmacy, time is obviously more to full powers. After the recent confirmation of a separation of functions at Sanofi-Aventis, it is the turn of Novartis to separate Presidency of the Board of Directors and branch. Daniel Vasella will retain the Presidency of the Council, with particular responsibility for the major appointments of the strategy.

He went on an impressive balance. In fourteen years, Daniel Vasella has completed the Ciba-Sandoz merger in 1996, before Novartis a pharmacy specialist chemical activities (Ciba), agrochemicals (Syngenta), and then the small pots Gerber and medical nutrition. He had then ceases to grow vaccines and the Group also carry as generics under the Sandoz brand areas by acquiring the Chiron American in 2006. Purchase two time to Alcon, the world leader in ophthalmology, has been a kind of consecration. Finally, only Sanofi resisted him, Paris preferring in 2004 married her champion to Aventis, another HABs group.

Daniel Vasella can boast a start in brass band. The group, which is one of the five world sector leaders, reported yesterday of new record results. It shows a net profit of $ 8.4 billion, an increase of 4 to 44.2 billion in sales, an increase of 7. "If the Group has benefited from a base effect particularly favourable in the last quarter and a positive impact of foreign exchange ( 5 points of additional growth), the performance is less exceptional", appreciated Arsène Guekam, analyst at CM - CIC. However, Novartis is not spared by the fall of the patent. Antihypertensive drug Diovan (Tareg in France), its first product with 6 billion in sales last year, will thus suffer competition from generics as soon as this year.

Optimism for 2010

For the shock, the group prides itself on having received more than 30 permissions placed on the market last year and puts forward a rich pipeline of 145 projects. It waits for example many of the Gilenia against multiple sclerosis. Approval records were deposited last month with health authorities American and European, and treatment may be launched in 18 months. Novartis also welcomes European approval of Onbrez against chronic obstructive.

All news that contribute to the optimism of Novartis for the current year. The laboratory table on sales rising by about 5 this year (in local currencies) and an improvement of the operational margin of its main activities, from 25.8 achieved in 2009. The task in now will be Joe Jimenez, who should be helped in its quest for economies by his experience with consumer products. He has worked for Clorox, the world leader of bleach, and led for five years the European activities of Heinz.