Swiss drug maker Novartis AG said at an investor event that has 139 projects in clinical development while the pharmaceutical group has seen its exploratory pipeline grow 40 percent since 2005.

Basel-based Novartis also said that productivity has an outstanding increase; 80 percent of compounds that were successful in Proof-of-Concept clinical trials in 2006-2007 are in Phase II or III trials.
On the other hand biological products represent 25 percent of their pipeline, 14 of which are been currently tested.

Key compounds in clinical trials are:

• Canakinumab (ACZ 885) drug will be submitted before the end of 2008 to treat potentially life-threatening, auto-inflammatory diseases called Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), which includes Muckle-Wells Syndrome and CINCA-NOMID Syndrome. Orphan drug status has already been granted in the European Union and U.S. for treating CAPS and also in the U.S. and Europe for Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA).

• Indacaterol (QAB 149): The drug will be submitted to the U.S. and European regulators for first approvals in late 2008 as a 24-hour bronchodilator for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

• Afinitor (everolimus) is expected to receive a regulatory decision from the FDA within the first quarter of 2009 for patients with advanced kidney cancer.

• Fingolimod (FTY 720): Regulatory submissions are on track for the end of 2009, oral compound to treat Multiple Sclerosis.