Novartis Gets Boost as Autoimmune Drug Suceeds in Key Trials

Novartis AG said an experimental medicine helped patients with an autoimmune disease in late-stage studies, offering a boost for the Swiss drugmaker’s efforts in the field.

Patients with Sjögren’s disease, a condition that affects moisture in the body, improved when treated with ianalumab, according to a statement Monday. The drug was well tolerated, lifting the treatment’s prospects to become the first targeted treatment for the condition, Novartis said.