Novartis, CH0012005267

Novartis stock gains as Cosentyx wins a new EU recommendation

Published on 09/22/2026 at 12:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Novartis stock closed at CHF 116.14 on September 21, 2026, up 0.90 percent on SIX. Cosentyx gained a PMR indication recommendation after positive Phase III results.

Forscherin in weißem Kittel pipettiert in Reagenzglas im sterilen Pharmalabor — Novartis AG CH0012005267 – Forscherin pipettiert präzise in steriler Pharmalaborumgebung mit Reagenzgläsern, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Novartis stock (ISIN CH0012005267) closed at CHF 116.14 on SIX on September 21, 2026, up 0.90 percent from the previous close. The move followed a positive European recommendation for an additional Cosentyx indication, while a separate Phase II pipeline setback kept the development picture mixed.

Cosentyx adds a new indication

According to Zacks on September 21, 2026, the European Medicines Agency committee issued a positive opinion recommending Cosentyx for adults with polymyalgia rheumatica who respond inadequately to steroids or relapse during steroid tapering.

The recommendation was supported by the REPLENISH Phase III study, in which both the 300 mg and 150 mg treatment groups met all primary and secondary endpoints through week 52, according to Zacks. Cosentyx sales in the United States totaled USD 3.4 billion, up 7 percent, in the period cited by the report.

Pipeline risk remains visible

The positive regulatory signal is counterbalanced by Novartis discontinuing VHB937, also known as lifonebart, after a Phase II ALS study involving 251 patients failed to meet its primary and secondary endpoints. Yahoo Finance reported this development on September 22, 2026.

The financial effect is limited because VHB937 was still experimental and had generated no commercial revenue, according to Yahoo Finance. The contrast matters for valuation: Cosentyx expands an established revenue base, while VHB937 removes one mid-stage development option without changing near-term sales materially.

Quarterly figures set the baseline

Novartis reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of CHF 11.39 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, down 2.00 percent from CHF 11.62 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Earnings per share fell to CHF 1.35 from CHF 1.71, according to Finanzen.ch on September 21, 2026.

The next quarterly results were listed for October 27, 2026, by Finanzen.ch. That date gives the market a concrete checkpoint for judging whether new indications and pipeline execution can offset the second-quarter year-over-year declines.

Stock remains below yearly high

Novartis closed at CHF 116.14 on SIX on September 21, 2026, after opening at CHF 116.42. The stock's 52-week high was CHF 132.68 on September 3, 2026, and its 52-week low was CHF 96.70 on September 20, 2025, according to the quoted SIX market data.