Novartis has been a leader in the neuroscience area for more than 50 years, having pioneered early breakthrough treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, epilepsy, migraine and schizophrenia, some of which remain ‘gold’ standard treatment to this day.
 

Novartis continues to be at the forefront of research in neuroscience, working to improve medications and develop new compounds. Our main areas of focus are neurodegeneration - Alzheimer’s disease in particular - and psychiatry.

Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disease that causes impaired memory, thinking and behavior. On average, the course of the disease usually progresses over a span of eight years from the onset of symptoms to death.
 

Dementia affects an estimated 37 million people worldwide, and most of the cases are caused by AD. Prevalence increases with age, and roughly doubles with every additional 5 years of life. One in 10 individuals over the age of 65 years suffers from AD. The prevalence of the disease will grow as the world population ages.
 

The causes of AD have been a focus of research and debate for many years, but no definitive answers yet exist. While there is no known cure, there are therapies that can slow symptomatic decline and allow patients to continue functioning in their daily lives.
 

Our goal at NIBR is to develop novel therapies for AD based on key molecular targets in the beta amyloid pathway that will prevent onset or slow disease progression and to identify and validate novel targets.

Psychiatry
Depression and anxiety disorders - such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder - are prevalent, chronic and disabling. They are also under-recognized and under-treated.
 

The two principal unmet medical needs are improved efficacy and improved prevention or relapse or recurrence. Treatment of somatic symptoms, common co-morbidities and insomnia and improved relapse/recurrence prevention are other treatment needs.
 

Our long-term goal at NIBR is to develop novel therapies for psychiatric disorders based on translational or transgenic animal models of the diseases as a means for identifying molecular pathways and perturbations that may underlie psychiatric disorders.

The core of Neuroscience Research is located in Basel, Switzerland. The Disease Area is headed by Graeme Bilbe.

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Exelon® (rivastigmine)
Exelon enhances the levels of acetylcholine in the brain is used to treat people with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease. Exelon is proven effective in the three key domains of Alzheimer's disease: activities of daily living, behavior and cognition (memory and thinking).

	Visit the Exelon website (US residents only)

Clozaril® (clozapine)
Clozaril, an atypical neuroleptic, reduces the symptoms associated with schizophrenia, and can reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Trileptal® (oxcarbazepine)
Trileptal, an ion channel blocker, is an antiepileptic drug indicated for use as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children ages 4 years and older.

Stalevo® (carbidopa, levodopa, entacapone)
Stalevo is a treatment for Parkinson's disease and provides levodopa, the cornerstone of Parkinson's therapy, along with two enzymatic modifiers that optimize delivery of levodopa in the brain. Stalevo is the first new levodopa therapy in more than a decade for Parkinson's disease patients who experience "end of dose wearing off" symptoms.

FTY720 (fingolimod) for multiple sclerosis (MS) - Phase III clinical studies to be launched early 2006.
This once-daily oral medication has a novel mode of action offering the potential of an innovative approach to MS treatment.