Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a leader in the healthcare field, is committed to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative products to improve the well-being of all Canadians. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada conducts hundreds of clinical trials across the country seeking new treatments for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, organ transplantation and glaucoma. In 2004, the Company invested over $55 million in research and development. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 860 people in Canada and its headquarters are located in Dorval, Quebec.
 

Novartis Pharmaceuticals consists of the following therapeutic areas:

General Medicines
 

• Cardiovascular & Metabolism
  Novartis is a world leader in offering products to treat cardiovascular disease, particularly high blood pressure (hypertension), elevated cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), chest pain (angina pectoris) and heart failure. Our broad portfolio of cardiovascular and metabolic agents offers some of the best tools available today to treat and protect patients along critical points of the cardiovascular continuum - from novel treatments for type 2 diabetes and medicines to manage hypertension and high cholesterol, to life-saving therapies for heart attack and heart failure patients. Our pipeline includes compounds with the potential to change the way cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are treated, in particular the oral DPP-4 inhibitor LAF237 (vildagliptin) for type 2 diabetes and the oral renin inhibitor SPP100 (aliskiren) for hypertension.
  
• Neuroscience:
  Novartis has been a leader in neuroscience for more than 50 years, having pioneered early breakthrough treatments for disorders that include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, depression, migraine and schizophrenia. Among our leading products are the anti-epileptic Trileptal, which has been approved in more than 70 countries and used to treat over one million people suffering from epilepsy, and Exelon, which is used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Novartis continues to be active in developing new compounds and is committed to addressing unmet medical needs, as well as supporting patients and their families affected by these disorders. Ongoing research to extend the current Neuroscience product portfolio in includes projects in psychiatric diseases, neurological disorders and chronic pain.
  
• Respiratory, Dermatology & Infectious Diseases (RDI):
  

  Novartis offers a series of leading medicines for important respiratory and dermatological conditions. Elidel is the first and only non-steroid cream for eczema, an inflamed skin condition that affects about 15-25% of children in Canada, while Lamisil is the most frequently prescribed treatment worldwide for fungal nail infection.
   

  Infectious diseases is an emerging area of therapeutic focus, particularly products used to treat viral infections by inhibiting their replication. In Canada, our portfolio consists of two main areas: anti-virals and anti-bacterials. We market Famvir for herpes and our ongoing research and development efforts are focused on new specific anti-virals against Hepatitis B and C, as well as on novel antibiotics for respiratory tract infections.

  
  
• Arthritis, bone, gastrointestinal, hormone replacement therapies (ABGH) :
  The primary focus of this business franchise is a group of treatments for patients with a variety of internal diseases that have significant unmet medical needs, particularly in the areas of gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, osteoporosis and the treatment of pain. Zelnorm is approved for the symptomatic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in female patients. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal condition that is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. IBS affects up to 20% of Canadians and Zelnorm is the first therapy approved for its treatment. We intend to further strengthen our GI franchise with development efforts for Zelnorm in other indications. Another important area of focus is bone disorders like osteoporosis, a progressive disease that causes bones to become thin and porous, increasing the risk for fractures. The most advanced compound in development for bone disorders is Aclasta.