ZURICH, Feb 7, 2026, 21:03 CET — Market closed
- Novartis finished Friday at 119.96 Swiss francs, rising 0.6%. U.S. ADRs picked up 1.5% by the close.
- The drugmaker has started construction on a new biomedical research center in San Diego and pointed to a favorable draft reimbursement recommendation for Kisqali in Canada.
- Next up for investors: the annual meeting lands on March 6, while March 10 marks the ex-dividend date for that proposed 3.70-franc payout.
Novartis closed the day up in Zurich, gaining 0.57% to finish at 119.96 francs, while its U.S. ADRs advanced 1.54%, settling at $156.42. 1
Investors, already scanning for signs that fresh drugs can offset pressure on aging blockbusters, got a jolt as the new week kicked off. Novartis said it’s upping spending to expand discovery efforts and drive one of its major cancer brands into earlier treatment stages—a move that sharpened the focus on how the company plans to sustain growth.
The last 48 hours brought two developments highlighting that contrast: on one end, fresh investment in long-term research; on the other, progress on market access for an approved therapy. Not a game-changer for the 2026 numbers right away, but both factor into how fast Novartis moves to offset threatened revenue.
Novartis broke ground Friday on a biomedical research center in San Diego, aiming for a 2029 opening. The roughly 466,000-square-foot site is expected to bring in about 1,000 employees. It’s a piece of the company’s planned $23 billion push into U.S. R&D and advanced manufacturing. Novartis says the facility will feature “AI-enabled” discovery, and biomedical research chief Fiona Marshall called it a move to “accelerate the discovery of transformative medicines.” 2
In a separate announcement, Novartis’ Canadian division reported that Kisqali has picked up a positive draft nod from the CDA‑AMC for public reimbursement in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative stage II–III early breast cancer—a subtype marked by hormone-driven tumors without surplus HER2 protein. The draft decision drew praise from Breast Cancer Canada CEO Kimberly Carson, who called it “a significant and welcome step forward.” Dr. Katarzyna Jerzak, an oncologist at Sunnybrook, noted that expanded access could let physicians “personalize care” and reduce recurrence. Dimitri Gitas, who leads Novartis Canada, said the move pushes the system closer to “timely and equitable access.” 3
Kisqali faces stiff competition in the breast-cancer space, where Pfizer’s Ibrance and Eli Lilly’s Verzenio are already established. Getting reimbursed isn’t always simple. In Canada, Novartis noted the draft recommendation is not yet final and will next head into pricing negotiations with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
Short-term access gains are landing in a tough environment. Novartis this week predicted its adjusted operating profit would slip by a low single-digit percentage in 2026, as the company prepares to lose patent protection on blockbuster drugs like Entresto for heart failure and the allergy medicine Xolair. Jefferies analysts warned of possible estimate downgrades. Still, CEO Vas Narasimhan told investors Novartis plans to “grow through” what he described as its biggest patent-expiry wave yet. 4
Shares are up roughly 2.3% across the last five sessions, recovering after slipping midweek. Friday’s close landed near the upper edge of this month’s range. 5
Still, risks linger. Quicker-than-anticipated generic erosion in the U.S., sluggish adoption of fresh launches, or harsher pricing calls could easily disrupt the transition from legacy blockbusters to growth names. Major R&D bets? Those take years before anything materializes in the pipeline.
Looking to Monday, traders are eyeing if Friday’s slow climb sticks once Swiss markets kick back in. Another angle: does the San Diego build-out come off as a real show of confidence in the pipeline, or does it read like one more distant cost on the books for investors?
Looking ahead, Novartis’ annual general meeting lands on March 6 in Basel—shareholders are set to vote on a proposed 3.70 franc gross dividend. According to the notice, shares will go ex-dividend starting March 10, with the payout scheduled from March 12. After the ex-dividend date, new buyers aren’t eligible for the upcoming dividend. 6
