In a bid to generate money to invest in new therapies, Swiss pharma giant Novartis is considering selling its non-core ophthalmology and respiratory franchises, according to a Bloomberg report.  

The ophthalmology business alone could fetch about US$5 billion, the report stated. While there has been no comment from Novartis, earlier in the year the company announced it would spin off generics and biosimilars company Sandoz in a strategic move to strengthen its position in core therapeutic areas of haematology, solid tumours, immunology, neuroscience and cardiovascular.  

Novartis’ ophthalmology therapeutics portfolio includes Lucentis (ranibizumab), which the company markets with Roche, and its vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor brolucizumab-dbll (Beovu), which has recently been approved by European Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema.  

In 2019, Novartis spun off the Alcon eyecare business and in 2021 sold approximately a third of its voting share in Roche. According to Bloomberg, any sale of the ophthalmology and respiratory businesses is likely to begin in 2023, after the Sandoz process is completed.