Novartis Celebrates 30 Years, Names Levant President, Wins Saudi Clinical Research Honors
Novartis marks 30 years since its 1996 merger, citing advances in targeted therapy, cell therapy, gene therapy, and malaria. It also named a Levant Country President and won two clinical research awards in Saudi Arabia.
Novartis is marking 30 years since its founding through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, a combination approved by the European Commission on July 17, 1996, and one of the largest corporate mergers of its time. The company also announced a leadership appointment in the Levant and earned dual recognition for clinical research excellence in Saudi Arabia.
Thirty years ago, the merger brought together two of Switzerland's most storied companies, uniting histories that stretched back more than 250 years. The name Novartis is inspired by the Latin novae artes, meaning "new arts, new skills." Over the following three decades, the company pioneered one of the first targeted therapies in cancer, brought the first approved cell therapy to patients around the world, advanced efforts to combat malaria, and helped bring gene therapy from a scientific promise to a reality for families affected by a rare genetic disorder. Today, Novartis is advancing newer approaches to medicine including radioligand therapy (RLT), gene and cell therapy, and xRNA. With RLT, the company helped transform the approach from a promising concept into a commercially available therapy and continues to explore its use in more cancers.
In Saudi Arabia, Novartis commenced 2026 with two significant recognitions. At the Clinical Trials Transformation Conference: Unraveling the Future in Riyadh, the company received First Place in the Clinical Research Contribution Award, presented by King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. Additionally, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), through its 2025 clinical trials statistics, recognized Novartis as the leading multinational company contributing to clinical trials within the Kingdom. The Country President of Novartis Saudi Arabia said the recognitions reflect the company's sustained partnership with the Kingdom and its commitment to meaningful clinical research, consistent with Vision 2030. Novartis maintains a long-established presence in Saudi Arabia, and in 2025 its medicines reached millions of patients across the Kingdom.
In the Levant, Novartis has appointed a new Country President – Levant with more than 20 years of experience across pharmaceuticals, oncology, hematology, market access, commercial leadership, and country operations. The executive previously served as Ad Interim Country President for the Levant countries and Iran, as Country Value and Access Head – Levant, and as Oncology & Hematology Therapeutic Area Head – Levant. Earlier roles included Franchise Head – Hematology Levant, Hematology and Oncology Franchise Head, Head of Oncology Operations for Jordan and Palestine, and Operation Head for Jordan and Palestine, with interim leadership responsibilities for Iran. Before joining Novartis, the appointee spent more than six years with Sanofi, progressing from Oncology Product Specialist to Oncology Product Manager. The appointment reflects Novartis' focus on strengthening leadership in the region through experienced internal talent.
The Chief Executive Officer of Novartis said the company was built by people willing to do things nobody had done before. Novartis medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide.