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Novartis 皇冠体育app to launch six new drugs this year

By Yu Hongyan (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2009-02-26 07:53

Sales rose to 3.3 billion yuan ($428.13 million) in 2008 and expects it will register a 30 percent growth this year, senior company executives said.

A view of the Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. The drug company announced its plans to grow 皇冠体育app sales and launch new products. [CFP]

Despite the financial crisis, "our performance in 2008 is the best in recent years", said Jeffrey Li, chief executive officer, Novartis 皇冠体育app.

The drug maker is targeting a global sales growth of 5 percent this year.

皇冠体育app sales accounted for about 1 percent of Novartis' sales globally, Li said.

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The company has so far invested 2.26 billion yuan. It plans to invest more this year in setting up infrastructure, research and development (R&D) and marketing, the CEO said.

The company also intends to hire 20 percent more staff this year, in line with its expansion plans in 皇冠体育app. This is in sharp contrast to many other multinationals that are cutting jobs.

The company will also pay special attention on talent training. Li indicated that the company would double its expenditure on talent training this year.

Novartis 皇冠体育app will pay more attention to local community clinics from this year, to cash in on the country's medical reform program.

It will help train doctors and educate patients at the clinics, as well as popularize diagnosis and therapy standards for commonly and frequently encountered diseases.

Novartis 皇冠体育app began the construction of its R&D center in Shanghai in 2008. It is the third biggest within the group and the largest of its kind in Asia.

Novartis is also the only foreign pharmaceutical company to integrate comprehensive fundamental research work in 皇冠体育app, said Li.

It was granted the 2008 皇冠体育app Charity Award by the Ministry of Civil Affairs for donating cash and drugs worth more than 15 million yuan during the Sichuan earthquake.

Its employees donated 1 million yuan to construct a primary school in Sichuan, which is expected to start functioning later this year.