Press Release: Novartis announces landmark EU -2-

security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information

technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis

AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange

Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release

as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any

forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result

of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives.

As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and

digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of

great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently

rank among the world's top companies investing in research and

development. Novartis products reach nearly 1 billion people globally

and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest

treatments. About 125 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at

Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.

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*Luxturna is a trademark of Spark Therapeutics, Inc. and is registered

in the United States and in the EU

References

[1] Luxturna(TM) (voretigene neparvovec) Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Approved EU SmPC. Available imminently at:

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines

[2] Luxturna. BLA Clinical Review Memorandum. Yao-Yao Zhu. US Food and

Drug administration. Available at:

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/CellularGeneTherapyProducts/ApprovedProducts/UCM592766.pdf.

Last accessed on 1 November 2018

[3] Russell S et al. Efficacy and safety of voretigene neparvovec

(AAV2-hRPE65v2) in patients with RPE65- mediated inherited retinal

dystrophy: a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial. The

Lancet 2017; 390:849-860.

[4] Russell S et al. Three-year update for the phase 3 voretigene

neparvovec study in biallelic RPE65 mutation-associated inherited

retinal disease. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, 2018; 59

[5] Banken, R et al. Voretigene Neparvovec for Biallelic

RPE65-Mediated Retinal Disease: Effectiveness and Value, Final Evidence

Report. Institute for Clinical and Economic Review 2018. Available at

https://icer-review.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MWCEPAC_VORETIGENE_FINAL_EVIDENCE_REPORT_02142018.docx.pdf.

Last accessed 1 November 2018.

[6] RetNet. Summaries of genes and loci causing retinal diseases.

Available at: https://sph.uth.edu/retnet/sum-dis.htm. Last accessed

November 2018

[7] Novartis. Data on file. 2018

[8] Astuti GD et al. Comprehensive genotyping reveals RPE65 as the

most frequently mutated gene in Leber congenital amaurosis in Denmark.

European Journal of Human Genetics 2016; 24: 1071-79.

[9] Morimura H et al. Mutations in the RPE65 gene in patients with

autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa or Leber congenital amaurosis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 1998; 95:

3088-93.

Novartis Media Relations

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Eric Althoff Amy Wolf

Novartis Global Media Relations Global Head, Ophthalmology Communications

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+41 79 593 4202 (mobile) +41 79 576 0723 (mobile)

eric.althoff@novartis.com amy.wolf@novartis.com

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Media release (PDF): http://hugin.info/134323/R/2226708/873965.pdf

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Source: Novartis International AG via Globenewswire

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 23, 2018 01:15 ET (06:15 GMT)