LEADERSHIP
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Bacterial infections remain a leading cause of death in children five years and under . Following a call from the World Health Organization ( WHO ) to develop affordable and improved formulations for young children which are also heat-stable , Novartis ’ generic division , Sandoz , has led the way in developing essential treatments on a global scale .
With a mission to cure , discover , develop and successfully market innovative products to prevent and cure diseases , its division , Novartis Social Business ( NSB ) has combined its social and business aspirations to drive both profit and purpose .
“ This sounds like how businesses should be run but in fact aren ’ t ,” explains Dr Harald Nusser , Head of NSB . “ That ’ s what makes NSB special . Usually , investments are evaluated on a discounted cash flow financial analysis , but we will put equal weight also on a monetisation of societal returns . We want to monetise our societal impact , so that we can make investment decisions based with equal weight , both on social return and financial return .”
One of the largest generic antibiotics ’ manufacturers worldwide , its Sandoz division works to ensure supply availability , but strives to utilise adaptive research and development ( R & D ) tools to make sure that adults , children and the most vulnerable are able to access proper medicines . This , Dr Nusser states , is vital to support those in tropical conditions .
DECEMBER 2018