Novartis UK statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19) and supply chain

As Novartis continues to closely monitor the coronavirus situation, our priorities are the supply of our medicines to patients and the health and safety of our associates. We will continue to ensure supply of our medicines to patients around the world and we do not anticipate disruption at this time.
 
Novartis has also put the following measures in place:

• As part of our business continuity plans and in line with requests from the Department of Health and Social Care, we are maintaining increased inventories across our medicines portfolio for both Novartis and Sandoz

• Also in line with DHSC requests, and to help minimise disruption to patients in the UK, we will;

  • Keep fulfilling orders and supplying products to the NHS in the normal way

  • Monitor orders carefully and consider demand management plans in the event of unusual ordering patterns

  • Continue to work together with the DHSC to keep them informed of our supply chain risk assessments, which currently have adequate supply to meet usual levels of demand

• We have issued guidance on how our associates can protect themselves against coronavirus infection including updated travel advice in line with warning levels provided by the UK Government

In response to an urgent call for research and development on coronavirus, issued by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Novartis has expressed its willingness to contribute to this important effort by making available a set of compounds from our libraries that we consider suitable for in vitro antiviral testing. In addition, we are evaluating our existing products to see if any could be repurposed beyond their approved indications.
 
Our generics business Sandoz has committed to keeping prices stable for a basket of essential medicines that may help in the treatment of coronavirus cases, specifically antivirals to reduce the impact of coronavirus and antibiotics to combat pneumonia. Read the Sandoz media release.
 
Novartis remains responsive to any developments regarding coronavirus and will take all necessary steps to protect its associates and patients as the situation evolves.

March 2020 | COR20-E028