Principal Scientist 2 / Senior Principal Scientist Lead - Multiple Teams
About the job
- A Ph.D. or Pharm.D. with relevant experience in clinical pharmacology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, or a related background.
- A minimum of 0–2 years of experience in drug discovery and/or development in a relevant environment such as academia, a contract research organization, biotechnology, or pharmaceutical industry.
- For Principal Scientist II, 2+ years of experience, preferably in a lead role overseeing ADME/DMPK project strategy in clinical development or in AI strategy; for Senior Principal Scientist, 4+ years of experience.
- Extensive and in-depth knowledge of pharmacokinetics, including drug metabolism and PK/PD evaluation, experience working in project teams (preferably global), and sound awareness of recent developments in drug development and regulatory sciences.
- Exposure to working in a cross-functional, matrixed project-team environment.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Bring strong AI and digital fluency, using enterprise tools to further strategic, scientific, and operational leadership in clinical pharmacology.
- Identify, develop, and implement high-value use cases where AI can materially improve clinical pharmacology planning, analyses, and decision quality.
- Represent the PK Sciences function in project teams, interactions with organizational stakeholders, and interactions with regulatory agencies, as appropriate.
- Proactively contribute pharmacokinetic, drug metabolism, and clinical pharmacology expertise to drug candidates across the research, development, and commercial continuum.
- Work with teams to use AI to accelerate and enhance understanding of nonclinical and clinical PK/PD relationships and development dosing strategies and predictions.
- Champion use of AI to accelerate and enhance provision of dosage and PK/PD components of study protocols, reports, project summaries, and development plans; author pharmacokinetic, clinical pharmacology, and biopharmaceutics sections of INDs/IMPDs and NDAs/BLAs; and prepare appropriate responses to Health Authority questions.
- Drive close interdisciplinary collaboration among PK Science disciplines, Drug Disposition (ADME, BA), and Modeling & Simulation through PK Science sub-teams.
- Work closely with clinicians and clinical development colleagues to integrate PK Sciences insights into study design, data interpretation, and project decision-making.
- Model the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to enable model-guided molecular design, preclinical and clinical data automation, and regulatory document authoring.
- Experience in late discovery into clinical development is preferred.
- Hands-on project experience with artificial intelligence approaches and examples of applying AI to clinical pharmacology topics is a plus.
About the company
Novartis is a global pharmaceutical company that uses science-based innovations to develop treatments and improve patient outcomes worldwide. Its products are medicines developed through research and development to address various diseases, aiming to reach nearly 1 billion people. The company differentiates itself by large-scale investment in R&D, a global presence with a diverse workforce, and a clear mission to Reimagine Medicine, focusing on meeting the changing needs of patients. Its goal is to improve quality of life and extend life expectancy by delivering meaningful therapies through its research and development efforts.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Basel, Switzerland
Founded
1970
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Ianalumab won FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation on January 16, 2026.
- Remibrutinib posted positive Phase III data in April 2026 and September 2026.
- The October 2, 2026 Abogen deal adds optionality across autoimmune RNA programs.
What critics are saying
- Entresto generic erosion hits in November 2026 after a September 2026 patent-loss setback.
- Reuters reported two late-stage failures in September 2026 erased nearly $30 billion.
- Novartis faces India pricing pressure over ribociclib; Kerala High Court scrutiny continues.
What makes Novartis unique
- Novartis pairs blockbuster execution with 2026 launches like Rhapsido and Itvisma.
- Its 2026 autoimmune push spans remibrutinib, ianalumab, and Abogen's ABO2203.
- CAS collaboration in September 2026 strengthens Novartis's AI-ready reaction data advantage.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Hybrid Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -3%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↓ -3%Pipeline advances in Sjögren disease bring targeted therapies closer. Phase 3 wins for ianalumab and dazodalibep bring targeted therapies closer for Sjögren disease as patients face diagnostic delays and high costs. Two late-stage biologics in development for the US market have met their primary end points in, raising the prospect of the first FDA-approved targeted therapy for a condition without any approved disease-modifying treatment.[1-3] The advances come as claims data show that patients with the disease incur health care costs that are almost 3 times that of patients without the disease.[4] Novartis' ianalumab met its primary end point in the NEPTUNUS-1 and NEPTUNUS-2 trials, presented at ACR Convergence 2025, and earned an FDA breakthrough therapy designation on January 16, 2026.[2,5] On September 22, Amgen reported topline results that showed its CD40 ligand antagonist dazodalibep also met its primary end point in the phase 3 OASIZ 301 trial .[3] Systemic options in the pipeline. RemeGen's telitacicept has already cleared a hurdle neither Novartis nor Amgen has: China's National Medical Products Administration approved it for Sjögren disease on June 8, 2026, which its partner Vor Bio describes as the first regulatory approval for the indication anywhere.[6] Vor Bio is running global phase 3 trials, including one in Sjögren disease, to support potential approvals in the US, Europe, and Japan. In NEPTUNUS-1 and NEPTUNUS-2, which randomized 275 and 504 patients, respectively, monthly ianalumab 300 mg produced a greater drop in European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) scores at week 48 than placebo.[2] An arm in NEPTUNUS-2 that treated patients with ianalumab once every 3 months did not yield a significantly greater mean reduction compared with placebo. Ianalumab uses a dual mechanism of action that binds to BAFF-R and depletes B cells and inhibits their activation.[5] Amgen's dazodalibep hit its week-48 ESSDAI primary end point in OASIZ 301, which enrolled about 621 adults with moderate to severe systemic disease activity.[3] Dazodalibep works by targeting immune activation to disrupt interactions between T cells, B cells, and other antigen-presenting cells. The company did not disclose numerical results in its topline release, and detailed data are expected at a future medical meeting. A second phase 3 study, OASIZ 303, in patients with high symptom burden and low systemic activity, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026. Treatment centers on symptom relief. Management of the disease is largely symptomatic. EULAR recommendations cover saliva substitutes and artificial tears, topical therapies, and the oral muscarinic agonists pilocarpine and cevimeline, followed by systemic agents for extraglandular disease.[7] A 2019 systematic review that informed those recommendations, covering literature through 2017, found 5 randomized trials in which pilocarpine or cevimeline improved oral dryness and salivary flow, although they enrolled patients under older classification criteria, and the authors called the evidence in patients meeting current criteria very limited.[8] In a 120-patient randomized trial of hydroxychloroquine, the drug did not differ from placebo on a composite of dryness, fatigue, and pain.[9] The 2 largest rituximab (Rituxan; Genentech) trials, which together randomized 255 patients, also missed their primary outcome. Claims data suggest the lack of effective systemic therapy affects prescribing. In an analysis of MarketScan claims from 2006 to 2011 on 10,414 patients, systemic disease-modifying therapies were used mostly by patients who had another autoimmune disease, and 15.1% of patients had no Sjögren-related prescriptions at all.[9] Symptoms of Sjögren and diagnosis. Sjögren disease is a systemic autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks moisture-producing glands, causing dry eyes and dry mouth. It can also cause fatigue and pain, and it can affect organs such as the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs.[1] Nine in 10 patients are women, and the Sjögren's Foundation puts the average age at diagnosis at around 40 years, while a systematic review found averages of 40 to 67 years across studies.[1,10] The Sjögren's Foundation estimates that about 2.5 million Americans with the disease are undiagnosed.[1] Without a single test that confirms it and symptoms that can mimic or overlap with those of menopause, allergies, or other diseases, the average diagnosis time is 3 years. Diagnosis typically draws on the 2016 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria, which incorporate anti-SSA (Ro) antibodies and objective measures such as Schirmer testing and salivary flow rates.[10] Although reaching a diagnosis can be delayed, early diagnosis and treatment are critical.[1] In a study of patients meeting the 2016 criteria, those with longer diagnostic delays reported poorer general health and more physician visits than those diagnosed sooner.[11] Burden on patients and the health system. Although cost data predate any targeted therapy, a systematic literature review found mean direct costs in the US ranging from $4878 to $27,526 per patient per year, with indirect costs rarely reported.[12] A newer MarketScan analysis presented at ISPOR 2026 compared 1698 commercially insured patients with 3396 matched controls and found mean annual all-cause health care costs of $27,147 compared with $9736.[4] Patients with Sjögren disease had higher health care resource utilization in general, including being more likely to have an emergency department visit (27% vs 19%). There are also documented productivity losses among patients who have Sjögren disease, who averaged 66 hours of short-term disability vs 27 for controls, at a cost of $1280 vs $520, plus 18 vs 12 hours of workplace absence. The authors of the MarketScan analysis, who include Amgen employees, concluded the findings highlighted the "multifaceted burden" of Sjögren disease. References * Sjögren's Foundation. About Sjögren's (fact sheet). Accessed October 1, 2026. * Johnson V. NEPTUNUS-1 and 2: monthly ianalumab significantly improves Sjögren disease activity (ACR Convergence 2025 coverage). Rheumatology Live. November 4, 2025. Accessed October 1, 2026. * Positive topline phase 3 results for dazodalibep in moderate-to-severe systemic Sjögren's disease. News release. Amgen. September 22, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. * DiRenzo D, Patel S, Kathe N, Moore-Schiltz LC, Noxon-Wood V, Kilby A. Incremental direct and indirect costs of Sjögren's disease in the United States: a retrospective analysis using MarketScan databases. Value Health. 2026;29(S6). * Ianalumab receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for Sjögren's disease. News release. Novartis. January 16, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. * Telitacicept receives NMPA approval for the treatment of Sjögren's disease in China. News release. Vor Bio. June 8, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. * Ramos-Casals M, Brito-Zerón P, Bombardieri S, et al; EULAR-Sjögren Syndrome Task Force Group. EULAR recommendations for the management of Sjögren's syndrome with topical and systemic therapies. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79(1):3-18. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216114 * Brito-Zerón P, Retamozo S, Kostov B, et al. Efficacy and safety of topical and systemic medications: a systematic literature review informing the EULAR recommendations for the management of Sjögren's syndrome. RMD Open. 2019;5(2):e001064. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2019-001064 * Birt JA, Tan YM, Mozaffarian N. Sjögren's syndrome: managed care data from a large United States population highlight real-world health care burden and lack of treatment options. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2017;35(1):98-107. * Thurtle E, Grosjean A, Steenackers M, Strege K, Barcelos G, Goswami P. Epidemiology of Sjögren's: a systematic literature review. Rheumatol Ther. 2024;11(1):1-17. doi:10.1007/s40744-023-00611-8 * Meinecke A, Kreis K, Olson P, et al. Impact of time to diagnosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cross-sectional study. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2024;42(12):2444-2452. doi:10.55563/clinexprheumatol/karr2a * Choi J, Christodoulou A, Sreih A, et al. Economic burden and healthcare resource utilization in Sjögren's disease: a systematic literature review. Value Health. 2024;27(6):S1.
Novartis has signed a licensing agreement with Chinese biotech Abogen Biosciences worth up to $7.8 billion to develop an mRNA therapy for autoimmune diseases. Abogen will receive $575 million upfront, with up to $7.2 billion in additional milestone payments and royalties. The deal centres on ABO2203, an experimental drug targeting B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The therapy uses mRNA to instruct patients' cells to produce molecules that destroy disease-causing B cells. The agreement comes after Novartis suffered two late-stage clinical failures in September, which wiped roughly $30 billion from its market capitalisation. One investor noted the deal carries lower risk due to its front-loaded payment structure, though questioned whether Novartis needs more predictable late-stage acquisitions.
Novartis strikes up to $7.8 billion mRNA deal with China's Abogen. Published on 10/02/2026 at 03:30 am EDT - Modified on 10/02/2026 at 06:52 am EDT Oct 2 (Reuters) - Chinese biotech company Abogen said on Friday it has signed a licensing deal worth up to $7.8 billion with Novartis to develop messenger RNA-based therapy, underscoring the Swiss drugmaker's growing focus on an emerging class of treatments. Novartis has come under investor scrutiny over its dealmaking strategy after setbacks with drugs acquired through previous purchases. In September, it disclosed two late-stage trial failures that wiped nearly $30 billion from its market value and sparked calls from a major shareholder for tighter board oversight of future acquisitions. Novatis said its approach to business development has remained consistent over time and that Abogen's ribonucleic acid technology complements its existing approach to autoimmune disease. Under the deal, Novartis will gain exclusive rights to Abogen's experimental drug, ABO2203, and options to license other therapies based on Abogen's RNA technology. Abogen will receive $575 million upfront with the potential to earn an additional $7.2 billion if the drug advances through development and wins regulatory approval. Novartis shares have recovered some losses and were trading marginally up on Friday. In August, US drugmakers Moderna and Merck said that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine reduced the risk of recurrence and spread of melanoma in a late-stage trial, validating the broader promise of the technology beyond infectious disease shots. Abogen's approach uses similar mRNA technology and the deal could help the Chinese biotech company compete globally in developing treatments for hard-to-treat autoimmune diseases. The partnership is also in line with a broader rush by rivals such as AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk that have licensed obesity and other treatments from companies in China. ABO2203 is designed to treat autoimmune diseases by targeting B cells, a type of immune cell that causes disease in conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It works by using mRNA - which is naturally present in every cell in the body - to instruct patients' own cells to produce a treatment that destroys disease-causing B cells. Novartis is also advancing remibrutinib, an oral drug that recently succeeded in a late-stage multiple sclerosis study. (Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru and Bhanvi Satija in London; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu, Janane Venkatraman and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) By Bhanvi Satija (C) Reuters - 2026
Abogen announces licensing and option agreement with Novartis to advance mrna-encoded T-Cell Engager and other potential RNA programs. Oct 02, 2026, 01:19 ET Includes worldwide license to ABO2203, Abogen's mRNA-encoded CD19xCD3 T-Cell Engager Agreement also gives Novartis exclusive options to license other potential programs leveraging Abogen's RNA proprietary platform SUZHOU, China, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Abogen Biosciences ("Abogen" or the "Group"), a clinical-stage biotechnology group pioneering RNA innovation, announced that it has entered into a licensing and option agreement with Novartis to advance RNA-encoded therapeutics. The agreement includes an exclusive worldwide license to Abogen's lead asset, ABO2203, as well as options to exclusively license other potential programs leveraging Abogen's proprietary RNA platform. ABO2203 is a novel mRNA-encoded CD19xCD3 T-cell engager with the potential to transform the treatment landscape for patients with autoimmune diseases. The program is designed to reset B cells by utilizing mRNA to direct the endogenous production of T-cell engagers in vivo. This approach offers a highly differentiated mechanism for B-cell depletion, potentially providing distinct advantages over traditional recombinant T-cell engagers. Under the agreement, Novartis will also have the exclusive option to license a number of next-generation therapeutic assets developed on Abogen's RNA platform. "This agreement marks an important milestone for Abogen, underscoring the broad potential of our RNA platform to expand beyond prophylactic vaccines," said Bo Ying, Chief Executive Officer of Abogen. "ABO2203 is the first mRNA-encoded T-cell engager to enter clinical evaluation for autoimmune diseases, reflecting our commitment to delivering differentiated, accessible and scalable therapies for patients with B-cell-mediated disorders. We are thrilled to be able to accelerate ABO2203 and unlock new therapeutic targets through this agreement with Novartis." "Achieving effective and durable immune reset remains an important goal across a number of autoimmune diseases," said Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis. "mRNA-encoded T-cell engagers represent an innovative approach that could complement existing therapeutic modalities by enabling in vivo production of these molecules. We look forward to further developing the potential of ABO2203 and additional possible applications of Abogen's RNA platform." Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Abogen will receive an upfront payment of USD 575 million and, if all options on all programs are exercised, Abogen is eligible to receive up to approximately USD 7.2 billion in potential milestone payments, subject to the achievement of agreed development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, Abogen may be eligible to receive potential royalties on future product sales. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including required regulatory clearances. About Abogen Biosciences Abogen Biosciences focuses on innovative clinical-stage biotechnology and is dedicated to the discovery and development of transformative mRNA-based therapeutics. Powered by its proprietary AI- and automation-driven mRNA and LNP platform, Abogen has established comprehensive, end-to-end capabilities spanning mRNA design, formulation development, and large-scale GMP manufacturing. The Group has built a robust and diversified pipeline in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and prophylactic vaccines - highlighted by its lead candidate ABO1108, a lyophilized mRNA shingles vaccine currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials in China. Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential benefits of the agreement, the development of ABO2203 and other programs, milestone payments, regulatory progress and future clinical outcomes. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements due to risks and uncertainties inherent in drug discovery, clinical development and regulatory review.
CAS announces collaboration with Novartis to advance AI-ready reaction informatics. Sep 29, 2026, 08:00 ET Researchers will gain an integrated synthetic data foundation and an advanced custom search platform to support reaction data discovery and analysis COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, today announced a collaboration with Novartis Biomedical Research focused on enhancing reaction data accessibility and supporting AI-enabled research. The initiative will leverage CAS unique scientific data curation expertise and science-smart technology to give Novartis researchers integrated, searchable access to proprietary experimental reaction data alongside more than 160 million+ scientist-curated reactions from the authoritative CAS Content Collection(TM). Scientific research generates valuable reaction data stored across a variety of research systems and repositories, including electronic lab notebooks, reports, shared drives, and partner platforms. Bringing information from these sources together can help researchers more efficiently discover, access, and analyze reaction data across the research enterprise. Foundational to this collaboration is the application of CAS data transformation services, via CAS Intelligence Hub(SM), to organize and standardize Novartis' extensive collection of experimental reaction data, helping make these valuable research data assets more readily accessible for computational research, machine learning, and AI applications. "This exciting collaboration reflects the critical importance of a strong scientific data infrastructure, alongside domain-specific technology and expertise, to enable today's rapidly evolving drug discovery workflows," said Tim Wahlberg, Interim President, CAS. "We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with Novartis to help make this data a more accessible and valuable AI-ready resource." As part of this project, CAS will also collaborate with Novartis to develop a customized discovery platform built on the CAS SciFinder(R) architecture. This platform is designed to enable Novartis researchers to search, analyze, and cross-reference their enriched internal reaction data and CAS data simultaneously. By addressing a long-standing challenge of efficiently and comprehensively searching internal and external data together, this effort also lays the foundation for future CAS platform capabilities, including large language models and agentic AI. CAS connects the world's scientific knowledge to accelerate breakthroughs that improve lives. We are the scientific data intelligence partner empowering global innovators to capture the promise of AI and achieve real-world results. CAS builds the world's largest collection of scientist-curated data. That foundation underpins our portfolio of science-smart insights platforms and integrates with R&D workflows for more confident decisions and reliable predictions. As a pioneer at the intersection of scientific data and AI-driven discovery, CAS enables leaders in life sciences, chemistry, and materials with the unique capabilities and expertise that deliver transformative innovation. CAS is a division of the American Chemical Society. Connect with us at cas.org. Media Contacts Peter Carlton Senior Communications Manager, CAS [email protected] SOURCE CAS