Novartis AG said Friday it will eliminate nearly 2,000 jobs as part of a restructuring of its pharmaceutical activities in the United States. .
The Swiss group said in a statement that its field force will be reduced by 1,630 positions across the Atlantic, with a further 330 jobs with the realignment of functions at the headquarters of the group.
These decisions, which will start in the second quarter are expected to save $ 450 million per year by 2013, half of which will be conducted during the current year.
Novartis, which will record an extraordinary charge of $ 160 million in the first quarter as part of this program, explains its decision by the loss of patent protection of its Diovan against hypertension in the United States.
In addition, the group adds a new charge of 160 million in fourth quarter 2011 to the end of development programs and PRT128 SMC021.
The company also indicates that in the light of the results of his study Altitude on the sales potential of Rasilez / Tekturna, it accrues to the same period a charge of approximately $ 900 million, of which nearly 800 million are not in cash.
We recognize that the next two years will be delicate in the pharmaceutical division and we expect these changes to our pipeline to focus on best opportunites and align our position as market growth for our brands, has said in the statement David Epstein, head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals.


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