Novartis says it will keep seeking sub-$2 billion bolt-on deals worldwide, staying geography-agnostic

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan told investors on the second‑quarter earnings call that the company will continue to pursue bolt‑on acquisitions below $2 billion and has no plans to overhaul its business‑development strategy despite a slowdown in sales of its heart‑failure drug Entresto.

He emphasized that the firm’s priority is the quality of the science behind a target, not the location of the partner. As a result, Novartis remains open to opportunities in any region, including the growing biotech ecosystem in China, as long as the data support the candidate or platform.

In line with that approach, the company announced in January a $165 million upfront payment to partner with SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals, a joint venture based in Shanghai and Maryland, to advance a next‑generation anti‑amyloid therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.