Fangda, MoFo steer USD900m Boomray-Novartis licence agreement

A New York federal judge ruled in favor of Novartis, granting permanent relief from a lawsuit alleging monopolistic practices related to its heart failure drug Entresto. The judge concluded that Novartis did not delay generic competition for the drug.

Novartis won dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit filed by a union health fund. The suit alleged Novartis improperly listed a patent in the FDA's Orange Book to extend its monopoly on the heart drug Entresto. The union claimed the patent did not specifically cover Entresto's unique combination of ingredients.

Novartis' Phase 3 trial for Pelacarsen showed it lowered lipoprotein(a) but failed to reduce major cardiovascular events. Citi suggests this may influence CRISPR Therapeutics' focus on CTX321 over CTX320, while Ionis Pharmaceuticals may see limited impact. Citi maintains Buy ratings for both companies with price targets of $88 for CRISPR and $100 for Ionis.

Novartis won a lawsuit alleging it improperly listed a patent to delay generic competition for Entresto, its heart-failure drug. Judge Liman dismissed the case, agreeing the patent was properly listed. Entresto sales fell 42% to $1.31B in Q1 2026 after patent expiration and generic entry, accounting for 14% of Novartis's prior-year sales.

Novartis has entered a licensing deal with BoomRay Therapeutics, potentially worth up to $900 million, to expand its radiopharmaceutical pipeline. This follows recent activity in the cancer treatment field, including Telix's acquisition of ITM.

BoomRay Pharmaceuticals and Novartis Pharma signed a $900m deal for an undisclosed radioligand therapy asset. The agreement includes upfront and milestone payments, plus royalties. BoomRay focuses on oncology diagnostics and therapeutics, while Novartis aims to expand its radioligand therapy portfolio. Novartis recently acquired Mariana Oncology for up to $1.75bn.