Novartis Lines Up 46 MS Abstracts and a Late-October Data Drop as mRNA Bet Tops $7 Billion
Published on 10/09/2026 at 15:30 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Novartis has spent the past several weeks assembling the pieces of a busy autumn calendar, pairing a multi-billion-dollar push into messenger RNA with a fresh US approval and a dense run of clinical readouts that will land within days of each other.
At the center of the pipeline news is Remibrutinib, which the US Food and Drug Administration has cleared under the brand name Rhapsido as the first treatment for adults with symptomatic dermographism whose symptoms are not adequately controlled by H1 antihistamines. The decision stretches the drug's label beyond chronic spontaneous urticaria. Supporting the approval, Phase III RemIND data showed that 29.3% of patients on Rhapsido achieved complete resolution of wheals after twelve weeks, compared with 14.0% on placebo.
Toronto Congress to Host 46 Abstracts
Novartis has committed to presenting 46 abstracts covering its multiple sclerosis portfolio at the MSToronto2026 congress. The lineup includes data from the Phase III NEOS trial of Kesimpta in pediatric MS. Investors are training their attention on Remibrutinib, however, with Phase III results from the REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 studies scheduled for presentation on 23 October. Those readouts will indicate whether the compound can deliver credible results in neurology as well as in immunology.
Abogen Deal Secures Global Rights to ABO2203
The company's search for novel mechanisms has also driven it toward external partnerships. Early in October, Novartis signed a licensing and option agreement with Abogen Biosciences, securing worldwide exclusive rights to the drug candidate ABO2203 alongside options on additional RNA programs. The financial architecture, first reported by Reuters, includes an upfront payment of USD 575 million. Should every contracted option be exercised and all defined milestones be met, further payments of as much as USD 7.2 billion could follow.
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That structure reflects a deliberate approach of securing selected development programs through collaboration rather than building every asset in-house.
A September Setback Sharpens the Focus
Clinical development rarely moves in a straight line, and Novartis was reminded of that on 8 September, when the candidate Del-desiran missed the primary endpoint vHOT in the Phase III HARBOR study in DM1. The miss raises the stakes for the newer initiatives now moving through the clinic.
Third-Quarter Report and Analyst Adjustments
Novartis will publish results for the third quarter and the first nine months on 27 October. Beyond the current trading picture, market participants will be listening for signals on how management intends to shape the group's longer-term direction.
Goldman Sachs adjusted its assessment on 1 October. Analyst James Quigley kept a "Sell" rating while lifting his price target to CHF 113. His quarterly estimates sat largely in line with consensus, and he flagged particular interest in any commentary on the outlook beyond 2030.
Market Snapshot
The shares have advanced 8.2% since the start of the year. In recent trading the stock changed hands at EUR 127.24, up 0.2% on the day, putting the company's market capitalization at roughly EUR 244.78 billion. With the 23 October data presentation and the 27 October quarterly report now the next fixed points on the calendar, attention is shifting squarely to how Novartis executes on its newly acquired development programs.
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