Novartis President: India needs to foster innovation-led investment

In an interview, Love stated that India's pharmaceutical market is projected to reach $46 billion within five years. She identified intellectual property protection and regulatory data protection as critical factors for maintaining an attractive environment for innovation-led investment. While acknowledging ongoing positive transformations in India's infrastructure and healthcare investments, Love stressed the need for policy reforms to keep pace with scientific advancements.

Comparing India and China, Love noted that India's growing healthcare demand, unlike China's declining population, presents enormous opportunity. She also addressed the challenge of medicine costs, explaining that access involves more than just price, encompassing education, infrastructure, early diagnosis, and appropriate policies. Novartis is actively working with local partners to overcome these barriers and ensure solutions for affordability and proper delivery of novel treatments.

Novartis, which has divested its stake in Novartis India, remains focused on its core therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. The company is committed to clinical trials in India, running 50 global trials, and aims for all its products to have a pathway to market in the country. India and the Middle East are considered the most exciting markets in Love's region.