NOVARTIS N : and Gen-Probe Agree to Extend and Expand Blood Screening Collaboration

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  * Companies will work together to protect the world's supply of
    donated blood from infectious diseases until 2025

  * Partners anticipate continued expansion into new global markets
    and development of innovative new products, including
    next-generation PANTHER instrument

  * Companies also plan exploratory collaboration in pharmacogenomics

Emeryville, CA,  January 27,  2009 -  Chiron, a  Novartis  (NYSE:NVS)
business, announced today that it has agreed to extend and expand its
blood screening  collaboration with  Gen-Probe (NASDAQ:  GPRO)  until
2025. The companies  will continue  to work together  to develop  and
commercialize  molecular  technologies  that  safeguard  the  world's
donated blood supply.

The collaboration between Novartis  and Gen-Probe was established  in
1998. It  was  previously scheduled  to  expire in  2013.  Under  the
original terms of  the agreement, the  companies shared revenue  from
the sale of  blood screening  assays. Gen-Probe  was responsible  for
manufacturing costs, while  Novartis was  responsible for  commercial
expenses.  The companies shared research and development (R&D) costs.

"I am  very  pleased  that  our agreement  with  Gen-Probe  has  been
extended until 2025.  Nucleic acid  testing is an  important tool  to
safeguard the world's blood  supply against harmful pathogens,"  said
Peter Maag,  Global Head  of Diagnostics,  at Novartis  Vaccines  and
Diagnostics. "This renewed agreement with Gen-Probe provides a  solid
foundation that  enables  us  to  continue  our  expansion  into  the
transfusion  medicine  market  where   we  will  provide   innovative
solutions to blood centers worldwide."

About the Revised Agreement
Under the revised agreement, Gen-Probe will continue to be  primarily
responsible  for  R&D   and  manufacturing.   Novartis  will   remain
responsible for  sales  and  marketing  of  the  products,  but  will
collaborate more  closely  with  Gen-Probe on  sales,  marketing  and
distribution strategies.  In  addition  to  sharing  R&D  costs,  the
companies will  share  manufacturing expenses.  Gen-Probe  also  will
receive a  percentage of  end-user revenue  that escalates  gradually
from 2009 until 2015, and remains constant thereafter.

As part of the expanded agreement,  Novartis has agreed to help  fund
development of  Gen-Probe's  PANTHER instrument,  a  fully  automated
molecular testing  platform,  for  the blood  screening  market.  The
companies  also   have   agreed  to   evaluate,   using   Gen-Probe's
technologies, the development of companion diagnostics for current or
future Novartis medicines.

Unlike standard  serological  testing,  nucleic  acid  testing  (NAT)
detects viral  RNA  and  DNA  during  earlier  stages  of  infection,
shortening the window period from infection to detection.  Scientific
models estimate  that NAT  reduces the  infectious window  period  of
HIV-1,  HCV  and  HBV  from  35%  to  91%,  compared  with   standard
serological methods.[1]

Since 1998, Gen-Probe and  Novartis have developed, manufactured  and
commercialized nucleic acid tests and instrumentation that have  been
used by blood banks to screen  more than 125 million blood  donations
in the United States alone. These tests have intercepted thousands of
units of blood that were infected with HIV-1, hepatitis C and B,  and
West Nile virus,  thereby preventing  life-threatening diseases  from
being passed along to transfusion recipients.

"Together  these  two   companies  have   discovered  and   developed
innovative solutions for the  screening and prevention of  infectious
diseases to help protect the nation's blood supply," said William  F.
Moore,  Senior  Vice   President,  Biomedical  Services   Operations,
American  Red  Cross.  "We  are   pleased  to  see  this   successful
collaboration continue to  focus on innovations  and reinvestment  in
technology that will help keep the blood supply as safe as possible."

Disclaimer
This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating  to
the  agreement   concluded  between   Novartis  and   Gen-Probe   for
blood-screening collaboration.  Such forward-looking  statements  are
not historical facts and  can generally be identified  by the use  of
forward-looking terminology such as "expected", "will",  "estimated",
"would", "could",  "potential", "may",  "opportunities",  "pipeline",
"further advance" or  similar expressions, or  by express or  implied
discussions regarding potential future sales or earnings of Novartis;
or by discussions of strategy,  plans, expectations or intentions  or
potential synergies,  strategic benefits  or opportunities  that  may
result from the proposed acquisition. Such forward-looking statements
reflect the current  plans, expectations,  objectives, intentions  or
views of Novartis with respect to future events and involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause  actual
results  to  be  materially   different  from  any  future   results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such  statements.
In  particular,  there  can  be   no  guarantee  that  the   proposed
acquisition will  be completed  in the  expected form  or within  the
expected time frame or  at all. Nor can  there be any guarantee  that
Novartis will  achieve any  particular  future financial  results  or
future growth rates or that Novartis  will be able to realize any  of
the potential  synergies, strategic  benefits or  opportunities as  a
result  of  the  proposed   acquisition.  Among  other  things,   the
expectations of Novartis could  be affected by unexpected  regulatory
actions or  delays or  government regulation  generally, as  well  as
other risks and factors  referred to in Novartis  AG's Forms 20-F  on
file with  the US  Securities and  Exchange Commission.  Novartis  is
providing the information in  this release as of  this date and  does
not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Dedicated to preventing  transfusion-transmitted diseases, Chiron,  a
Novartis business, delivers innovative  blood screening solutions  to
protect the world's  blood supply. Beginning  with the sequencing  of
the HIV genome  in 1984 and  discovery of the  Hepatitis C genome  in
1987, Chiron has been a  leader in making groundbreaking  discoveries
and developing innovative solutions for the screening and  prevention
of infectious diseases.

Novartis AG provides healthcare  solutions that address the  evolving
needs of  patients  and  societies.  Focused  solely  on  healthcare,
Novartis offers a  diversified portfolio  to best  meet these  needs:
innovative medicines, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive
vaccines, diagnostic tools and consumer health products. Novartis  is
the only company with leading positions in these areas. In 2007,  the
Group's  continuing  operations   (excluding  divestments  in   2007)
achieved net sales  of USD  38.1 billion and  net income  of USD  6.5
billion. Approximately USD 6.4 billion was invested in R&D activities
throughout the Group. Headquartered  in Basel, Switzerland,  Novartis
Group companies employ approximately 97,000 full-time associates  and
operate in over 140 countries around the world. For more information,
please visit http://www.novartis.com.

References
[1.]  Busch,   MP,  Evolving   Approaches   to  Estimate   Risks   of
Transfusion-Transmitted  Viral  Infections:  Incidence-Window  Period
Model after  Ten  Years.  Dax  EM, Farrugia  A,  Vyas  GN  (editors):
Advances  in  Transfusion  Safety   -  Volume  IV,  Developments   in
Biologicals  (Basel),  Basel,  Karger,  2007,  vol  127,  pp  87-112;
Kleinman SH, Busch  MP, Assessing  the impact  of HBV  NAT on  window
period reduction and residual risk  J  Clin Virol 36 Suppl. 1  (2006)
S23-S29

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