BASEL, September 1, 2026, 17:49 CEST —
- Novartis ADRs gained 6.0% to reach $161.22 by 11:44 EDT.
- Both Phase III trials achieved relapse and MRI-lesion outcomes compared to teriflunomide.
- Remibrutinib recorded $64 million in second-quarter sales for its current hives indication.
Shares of Novartis AG NYSE:NVS ADRs climbed 6.0% on Tuesday, trading at $161.22 as of 11:44 EDT after peaking at $163.57. Trading volume hit 2.35 million shares Yahoo Finance.
The increase came after successful Phase III data for remibrutinib in relapsing multiple sclerosis. The move also signalled a broader optimism. Investors anticipate the medicine will take on greater significance as Novartis seeks to offset revenue lost to patent expirations.
The requirement for a substitute is urgent. Entresto’s sales dropped by 51% at constant currencies in the last quarter. Rhapsido, the current remibrutinib brand, delivered just $64 million in revenue.
Novartis ADRs held most of their opening gap
NYSE price, dollars; regular session through
Five-minute closes; last point uses the contemporaneous quote. Source: Yahoo Finance. Values are time-stamped, not streaming.
Novartis reported that both REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 achieved their primary endpoints. Remibrutinib lowered annualized relapse rates in comparison to teriflunomide. The drug also outperformed the comparator in major MRI-lesion metrics company release.
The headline findings did not disclose specific relapse rates. A favorable disability trend was observed at three months. The pooled analysis achieved nominal significance at the six-month mark.
Investors viewed the outcome as particular to the company. Shares of Sanofi SA NASDAQ:SNY, with its drug teriflunomide used as the comparator, edged up 0.1%. Biogen Inc. NASDAQ:BIIB declined 0.2% at the same moment.
The share-price reaction centered on Novartis
Regular-session change at approximately 11:44 EDT
Bar lengths show absolute move on a common 6.5% scale. Sources: NVS, SNY and BIIB quote pages.
Roughly 2,000 participants took part in the two studies. Subjects were administered either 100 mg of remibrutinib or teriflunomide. The double-blind phase extended for as long as 30 months.
Novartis reported that no liver safety issues were identified. Shreeram Aradhye, its chief of development, described remibrutinib as a “high-efficacy oral therapy.” Full findings will be disclosed at MSToronto2026.
Remibrutinib has secured approval as Rhapsido for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria. The United States authorized the drug in September 2025, with Europe granting approval in April 2026.
Novartis posted second-quarter sales of $14.41 billion. Growth was cut by 14 percentage points due to generic rivals, while volume contributed an 18-point increase Q2 results.
The new indication must scale against a large patent gap
Novartis Q2 2026 product sales, USD millions
Bars share a $1.5 billion scale. “cc” means constant currencies. Source: Novartis Q2 2026 results.
Novartis reported that Kesimpta, its injectable treatment for multiple sclerosis, achieved $1.42 billion in sales during the second quarter, reflecting a 32% increase at constant currencies. Remibrutinib, an oral therapy under development, may further expand this product line.
It could also seek to attract current Novartis patients. The commercial potential will rely on ultimate efficacy results, pricing, and insurance coverage. Regulatory approvals are still required.
Risks: Absolute relapse numbers were not provided in the release. Subsequent analysis may reduce the reported benefit. Key risks include safety, regulatory factors and launch execution.
The next step is the full congress presentation and investor call. Novartis intends to submit global regulatory filings following this. The company’s 2026 outlook continues to project sales growth in the low single digits and a low-single-digit decrease in core profit.
