There is no greater privilege than to work towards bettering human health, and no more exciting arena in which to do so than through discovery of new medicines. This is today’s frontier of science. The interface of the chemical and biological universes is a difficult place to work, worthy of the best minds and most innovative scientists.

The paradigm for such science still is evolving, but new tools are there. For one, we believe that the genome will be functionalized first and best in the context of new medicines. Atomic-level views of proteins provides a more rational base for chemical design than ever before. Clinical translation is facilitated by novel imaging and more precise molecular assays, so medicines may be more appropriately targeted to individual patient needs.

The scientific environment at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) is open, collegial, collaborative and entrepreneurial. The breadth of science we encompass is tremendous, embracing the entire spectrum from fundamental to clinical investigation. Academic-, biotech-, and pharmaceutical-trained scientists all can find projects appropriate to their style and demeanor. Some projects are driven by individuals, others by teams; some depend upon advanced screening technologies, and others upon hypothesis-driven research. It is ultimately the talent of the individual that determines the project success, although supported by unusual resources of NIBR.

New medicines do not appear overnight. Although Novartis has had more new medicines approved in recent years than other companies, we are not complacent. A new worldwide headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, brisk new hiring, and hosts of new programs all attest to our commitment to deliver new medicines effectively, reliably and predictably. We intend to forge the new science of drug discovery, the paradigm for this scientific frontier. 
 

Mark Fishman
─ President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research