Novartis has entered a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Zonsen PepLib Biotech for an internally developed peptide‐based radioligand therapy asset. Under the deal, Novartis will assume full responsibility for all development and commercialization activities, leveraging its global RLT capabilities. PepLib will receive an upfront payment of USD 50 million, with the potential for additional milestone payments tied to development, regulatory approvals and sales performance, as well as tiered royalties on future net sales.

In a separate strategic move, Novartis signed a licensing agreement valued at nearly USD 1.7 billion with SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals to develop potential antibody-based treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The deal structure includes upfront and near‐term payments, plus milestone payments tied to clinical and regulatory progress, demonstrating Novartis’s commitment to diversifying its neuroscience portfolio and advancing late-stage immunotherapy candidates against neurodegenerative targets.

Speaking at a major industry conference in San Francisco, CEO Vasant Narasimhan confirmed that Novartis will continue pursuing bolt-on acquisitions to strengthen its pipeline. He emphasized that the company’s capital allocation priorities—focused on R&D investment, targeted M&A, dividend growth and share repurchases—remain unchanged. Narasimhan highlighted that small- to mid-sized deals are expected to supplement internal innovation and enhance key growth platforms, particularly in oncology and rare diseases.