One in Four Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients on Novartis Kisqali® Stay Progression-Free for Over Four Years
Long-term Progression-Free Survival: A pooled analysis of the MONALEESA trials revealed that 25% of patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated with Kisqali® (ribociclib) plus endocrine therapy remained progression-free for four or more years, with a median progression-free survival of 6.8 years.
Statistically Significant Overall Survival: Kisqali is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor to show statistically significant overall survival across all Phase III MONALEESA trials, reinforcing its effectiveness in treating metastatic breast cancer.
NATALEE Trial Findings: A five-year sub-analysis from the NATALEE trial demonstrated that Kisqali combined with a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor significantly improves distant disease-free survival compared to the aromatase inhibitor alone, applicable to a broad population of early breast cancer patients.
Biomarker Insights: The analysis identified clinical and genomic factors associated with long-term responses to Kisqali, emphasizing the role of precision medicine in optimizing treatment for patients with advanced breast cancer.
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- New Research Center: Novartis has broken ground on a 466,000-square-foot biomedical research center in San Diego, expected to begin operations in 2029 and employ 1,000 workers, significantly enhancing its R&D capabilities in the biomedical field.
- AI Utilization: The center will leverage artificial intelligence, data, and computational capabilities to drive innovation in biomedical research, thereby boosting Novartis's competitiveness in the global pharmaceutical industry.
- Massive Investment Plan: Novartis announced a $23 billion investment in the U.S., which includes a new manufacturing facility in North Carolina and a radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, California, demonstrating its commitment to the U.S. market.
- Manufacturing Expansion: The company is also planning new radioligand therapy manufacturing locations in Florida and Texas to meet the growing market demand, further solidifying its leadership position in the biopharmaceutical sector.

- Stock Performance: Biogen's stock experienced an increase on Friday despite facing declining sales.
- Drug Portfolio Issues: The company's drug portfolio showed poor performance in the fourth quarter, contributing to investor concerns.
- Amazon Earnings Preview: Amazon is set to release its earnings report on Thursday, with its stock dropping 2.4% ahead of the announcement, indicating cautious investor sentiment that may impact short-term market confidence.
- Alphabet's Strong Performance: Alphabet exceeded Wall Street expectations in its fourth-quarter earnings report released on Wednesday, although its stock fell about 1% in after-hours trading; the projected capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to reach between $175 billion and $185 billion, nearly double that of 2025, reflecting a strong commitment to future growth.
- Qualcomm's Disappointing Guidance: Qualcomm reported quarterly earnings that surpassed expectations, yet its stock fell 9% in after-hours trading due to disappointing forward guidance, highlighting investor concerns about future performance, with shares down nearly 13% year-to-date in 2026.
- Strong Consumer Staples Sector: The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) has risen for four consecutive days, gaining over 1% each day and hitting new highs in the past three sessions, indicating strong performance in 2026 with over 12% growth year-to-date, making it the third-best performing sector in the market.
- Sales Growth Challenges: Novartis reported a 1% year-over-year increase in net sales to $13.34 billion for Q4 2025, falling short of Wall Street's $13.78 billion estimate, indicating challenges in achieving sales growth amid fierce competition.
- Core Operating Income Slightly Up: Core operating income rose 1% to $4.93 billion, benefiting from increased government grant income and reduced SG&A expenses, although higher R&D costs partially offset these gains, resulting in a core operating income margin of 37.0%.
- Strong Performance from Blockbusters: Demand for blockbuster therapies like Kisqali and Kesimpta surged by 44% and 27% respectively, driving overall performance and demonstrating Novartis's competitive strength in oncology and multiple sclerosis markets.
- Cautiously Optimistic Outlook: Novartis expects low single-digit growth in net sales for 2026, while core operating income may decline slightly; however, the incoming CFO indicated that operating income is set to grow significantly in the second half of the year, suggesting strong potential for future growth.
- Earnings Highlights: Novartis reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $2.03, beating expectations by $0.03, indicating stable profitability; however, total revenue of $13.34 billion grew only 1.4% year-over-year, missing market expectations, reflecting the impact of generic erosion in the U.S. market.
- Sales and Revenue: Net sales decreased by 1% year-over-year, with a 1% increase in USD terms when excluding currency effects, suggesting that while the company maintains some revenue levels amid market challenges, core operating income growth of only 1% indicates pressure on profitability.
- Cash Flow Situation: Free cash flow amounted to $1.7 billion, down 54% year-over-year, primarily driven by lower cash flows from operating activities, which may impact the company's reinvestment capabilities and shareholder return strategies.
- Future Outlook: Novartis expects low single-digit growth in net sales and a slight decline in core operating income for 2026; despite facing the largest patent expiry in its history, the company remains optimistic about its mid-term guidance, emphasizing the resilience and ongoing growth potential of its business.
- Dividend Increase: Novartis' board proposes a dividend of CHF 3.70 per share for 2025, representing a 5.7% increase from CHF 3.50 in the previous year, indicating the company's ongoing commitment to stable cash flow and shareholder returns.
- Shareholder Voting: The dividend proposal will be voted on at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for March 6, 2026, reflecting the importance of corporate governance transparency and shareholder engagement in decision-making processes.
- Market Reaction: Despite the dividend increase, Novartis faces a rating downgrade, leading to cautious market expectations regarding future growth, which may impact investor confidence and stock performance.
- Outlook Challenges: Novartis anticipates a transition year in 2026, with a soft outlook for FY26, highlighting the challenges the company faces in strategic adjustments and market adaptation.









