Novartis
Company Score
+0.74Novartis International AG is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and specialises in research, development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
Novartis’ areas of business include pharmaceuticals, generic drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, contact lenses and animal health. It manufactures the drugs Clozaril, Voltaren, Tegretol, Diovan, Gleevec/Glivec, Neoral/Sandimmun, Femara, Ritalin, Lamisil, and many more.
Read about Novartis and its impact below.
Impact notes
Novartis's Multiple Sclerosis drug Gilenya has treated approximately 46,538 patients in 2020
Manisha Rao
Fri Jun 11th, 2021 at 5:21am
"Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, especially the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves"1. The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, about 2.3 million people worldwide and 1 million people in the United States alone have MS2 & about 85-87% of patients with MS are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)3. MS patients aged 39 and younger have a 3.7-fold increased risk of dying soon, compared to those aged 40 to 59, who have a 2.9-fold increased risk4. Patients aged 80 and up have a 1.8-fold higher chance of dying sooner than those in their age group4. There's no cure for MS, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help you manage the disease2.
Gender balance in high-ranking positions within Novartis has led to a reduced gender pay gap
Hamna Aslam
Mon Mar 8th, 2021 at 12:56pm
In 2018, women earned $0.80 for every dollar earned by men2. This wage difference between men and women is known as the gender pay gap and as a result of this pay gap, working women lose $500 billion every year2. This gender pay gap in healthcare sectors stands at 26% in high-income and 29% in upper-middle-income countries1. 80% of board chairs in global health are also occupied by men1.
Novartis wastewater pollutants lead to the death of 50,000 fish in India’s Isnapur lake
Tejaswi Chunduri
Tue Feb 9th, 2021 at 7:06pm
Above 50% of the world’s wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry is discharged without any recommended pre-processing1. Inadequately treated wastewater discharged into the environment causes severe pollution impacting aquatic ecosystems1. Alterations in fish sex ratio, development of female fish traits in males, atypical nesting, adverse effects on invertebrates, and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)3;p8 have all been linked to the pharmaceutical industry’s untreated wastewater2;p18.
In 2019, Novartis generated 0.1 Mt of hazardous waste, which is posing a threat to the environment
Abdul Waseem
Mon Jan 11th, 2021 at 11:55am
Negligence in pharmaceutical waste management may lead to pollution due to pharmaceutical components near manufacturing sites1. Management of pharmaceutical waste is a critical issue globally7. Pharmaceutical waste can impact the environment significantly3. This waste may be responsible for the spread of drug-resistant bacteria1. About 700,000 people die due to drug-resistant diseases annually across the globe2.
Novartis’ chronic myeloid leukemia drug, Tasigna, caused 3,100 deaths from 2007 to 2019
Abdul Waseem
Fri Jan 8th, 2021 at 12:15pm
In Europe and the US, about 328,000 people die from prescription drugs every year3. According to an estimate, about 412,000 people globally will be diagnosed with all types of leukemia by 20204;p1. Of which, 10–15% of the cases are attributed to chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)4;p1. In the US alone, about 51,500 people are affected by CML4;p1.