January 29, 2021

  • Kickoff of multiple agreements being explored by Northward ovartis to leverage manufacturing capacity and capabilities to accost pandemic, supporting global supply of COVID-19 vaccine
  • Initial agreement signed with BioNTech to employ Novartis manufacturing plant in Stein, Switzerland, to back up production of mRNA COVID-xix vaccine
  • Production to embark in the second quarter for estimated delivery commencing in the 3rd quarter 2021

Basel, January 29, 2021 — Novartis announced today that it has signed an initial understanding to leverage its manufacturing capacity and capabilities in order to address the COVID-xix pandemic by supporting the production of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-xix Vaccine. The agreement volition see Novartis utilizing its aseptic manufacturing facilities at its site in Stein, Switzerland.

Under the terms of the contract manufacturing agreement, Novartis plans to take bulk mRNA agile ingredient from BioNTech and fill this into vials under aseptic conditions for shipment back to BioNTech for their distribution to healthcare arrangement customers around the earth.

Field of study to reaching a last agreement, Novartis plans to embark product in the 2d quarter of 2021 at its land-of-the art aseptic manufacturing institute in Stein. Initial shipment of finished product is expected in the third quarter.

The Novartis manufacturing team is in avant-garde discussions with a number of additional companies to take on manufacturing activities such equally mRNA product, therapeutic protein production also as raw material product for Covid vaccines and therapeutics. The specifics will be disclosed once those discussions are concluded.

"Novartis has been mobilizing on multiple fronts to support the global pandemic response," said Steffen Lang, Caput of Novartis Technical Operations. "As a company reimagining medicine with advanced therapy platforms, we are committed to leverage our manufacturing capabilities to assistance support the supply of COVID-xix vaccines and therapeutics around the world. We expect this to be the first of a number of such agreements."

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-xix Vaccine has been authorized for use by the wellness regulatory authorities of about 50 countries, including Switzerland and the European Spousal relationship member states where information technology has been granted Conditional Marketing Authorization and it has received authorizations for emergency employ in e.thou. the United Kingdom, the U.s.a., and Canada, every bit well every bit in Hong Kong.

Novartis response to COVID-19 pandemic
Novartis is making multiple contributions to the global attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and back up the stability of global healthcare systems. The visitor has committed to altruistic USD twoscore million to support communities around the world impacted by the pandemic. In improver, Novartis is active in several key cantankerous-industry research initiatives, the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, coordinated by the Beak & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard as well equally a COVID-xix directed partnership supported past the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). Novartis has also announced a collaboration with Molecular Partners to develop two DARPin® therapies designed for potential apply against COVID-nineteen, and the company is separately supporting COVID-19-related clinical investigations of several Novartis medicines. In our labs, we have started a collaborative, longer-term drug discovery effort to develop outset oral medicines for COVID-nineteen and other coronaviruses. To sustain access, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division Sandoz became the beginning company to commit to keeping stable prices for a basket of essential medicines that may assistance in the handling of COVID-19 and entered into a partnership with US-based Civica Rx to back up stable supply of essential generic infirmary medicines. We are making 15 drugs that treat key symptoms of COVID-19 available to depression-and lower-middle income countries at zero turn a profit until a vaccine or curative treatment is available. Furthermore, Novartis Gene Therapies entered into a manufacturing agreement with Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital to produce its novel genetic COVID-19 vaccine candidate called AAVCOVID8. More data nigh the Novartis response to COVID-19 is available at www.novartis.com/COVID-19

Disclaimer
This media update contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United states of america Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements tin can generally be identified past words such every bit "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "look," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this media update, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You lot should non place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding hereafter events, and are subject area to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should ane or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove wrong, actual results may vary materially from those fix forth in the forwards-looking statements. There tin exist no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this media update will be submitted or canonical for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at whatever detail fourth dimension. Nor can there exist any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the futurity. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could exist affected by, amid other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and evolution, including clinical trial results and additional assay of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation by and large; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economical and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such equally COVID-xix; rubber, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or bodily data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Commutation Commission. Novartis is providing the data in this media update every bit of this engagement and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this media update equally a consequence of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to amend and extend people's lives. Every bit a leading global medicines company, nosotros utilize innovative scientific discipline and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of bang-up medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, nosotros consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in enquiry and evolution. Novartis products attain nearly 800 meg people globally and nosotros are finding innovative means to expand access to our latest treatments. Almost 110,000 people of more than than 140 nationalities work at Novartis effectually the world. Detect out more at https://www.novartis.com.

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