- Novartis in Slovenia has been awarded the National Gold Innovation Award by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.
- The National Gold Award was presented for innovative technology that accelerates the drug development process and enables a more successful transition to manufacturing, ensuring faster and broader access to biologics for patients around the world.
- The recognition strengthens the position of Novartis in Slovenia as an innovative company that is improving and prolonging people's lives through the development of cutting-edge technologies, as well as the development and production of breakthrough therapies.
Ljubljana, September 11, 2024 – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia has once again honored Novartis with the National Gold Innovation Award. It is the most esteemed accolade for innovation in our country, bestowed upon a pioneering technology that facilitates expedited and extended accessibility to biologics for patients around the world. Novartis experts are addressing the most significant health challenges facing society through innovative solutions that frequently emerge from collaborations with domestic and international scientific research institutions.
The gold-awarded innovative technology facilitates the detection and removal of critical protein impurities in biologics, thereby contributing to an improvement in their safety and efficacy: "Biologics are complex pharmaceuticals that are produced in cells. In spite of advances in technology, biologics still contain residual protein impurities from the host cells that can lead to degradation of the drug or its excipients. This reduces their effectiveness and prevents medicines from reaching patients. The breakthrough innovation significantly accelerates the development process and improves the success rate of the transition to the drug production phase. In this way, it enables faster and wider access to medicines for patients, reduces development and production costs, and increases the competitiveness of Novartis," explains Aleksander Krajnc, expert researcher at TRD Biologics Mengeš at Novartis in Slovenia.
The innovation is the result of a fruitful collaboration with scientific research institutions
The award-winning technology was developed under the guidance of experts from Novartis biologics technical development in Slovenia, in collaboration with Novartis experts from Austria and Switzerland, and researchers from Slovenian educational and research institutions. "We improve access to medicines for patients around the world and reduce the health burden on society through breakthrough innovations. On the way to new discoveries, we cooperate with domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, and our long-standing successful collaboration has resulted in many innovations that also benefit patients," says Špela Jalen, Site Head TRD Biologics Mengeš.
Novartis experts regularly winners of innovation awards
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia has been awarding innovation prizes for more than 20 years, and Novartis experts in Slovenia are regular winners at regional and national levels. Novartis is committed to innovation and development both globally and in Slovenia. More than half of Novartis' priority medicines involve Slovenian teams in the development and manufacturing phases. "Congratulations to our colleagues who, through their outstanding knowledge and curiosity, are contributing to the development of new therapeutic options and improving the lives of people around the world. The Gold National Innovation Award is a reaffirmation that we are among the best innovators in Slovenia," commented Petra Štefanič Anderluh, General Manager of Novartis d.o.o.