Dear Readers,

Every year, almost 18 million people lose their lives due to cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. This is almost three times the number of deaths registered during the coronavirus pandemic, which brought the world to an unprecedented economic and societal standstill.

When it comes to heart disease, however, the world seems to be less prepared to take concerted action. The reasons for this are mani‑­fold. First, treating heart disease is complex. Second, the disease area poses great challenges to the healthcare infrastructure. Third, the general low-risk perception of heart disease is another contributing factor to today’s difficult situation.

While cardiovascular diseases are among the most difficult to treat because patients typically have concomitant health conditions, the sheer number of patients makes this therapeutic arena one of the biggest healthcare system challenges of our time. In the United States alone, for example, some 20 million people suffer from an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Another unique fact is that heart disease, despite being the world’s biggest killer, is not perceived with the same urgency as, for example, cancer, which is often considered a death sentence. Heart disease, on the other hand, is generally seen as an age-related condition provoked by unhealthy lifestyle choices.

While alcohol and tobacco use, salty foods and a lack of movement have a compounding effect on heart health, and positive lifestyle choices can help patients improve their condition, death rates are high and the disease burden is massive, not only leading to high healthcare costs but also negatively affecting the economy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease and stroke in the United States alone cost the healthcare system 216 billion dollars per year, as well as an additional 147 billion dollars in lost productivity.

Going forward, the situation could even deteriorate. According to the WHO, some 500 million people are at risk of developing heart disease or diabetes over the next 10 years due to sedentary lifestyles, which could cost the world’s healthcare systems an additional 27 billion US dollars annually.

The rising healthcare burden comes despite efforts to boost heart health through innovative medicines, which have improved considerably since pharmaceutical companies started to develop treatments for high blood pressure, stroke and other related coronary conditions a century ago.

Novartis predecessors Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy were among the early drivers in the field, initially working with the active ingredients of natural products such as foxglove and snakeroot. They were also at the forefront of innovative treatments with calcium antagonists and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.

Novartis has continued this tradition with highly effective treatments in the areas of hypertension and heart failure, among others. Besides investing substantial funds in new research projects, we have also started to explore ways to support healthcare systems and improve the current situation.

As this issue of live magazine shows, we not only have a strong research pipeline in areas such as heart failure. With the mini-hearts platform in Cambridge, for example, we have also set up a new research vehicle that can help us better understand heart diseases in the future and develop new treatments.

But innovative medicines alone will not be sufficient. We must also support healthcare systems in their efforts to better manage the large number of patients affected by heart disease. The Novartis Foundation, for example, has launched an AI-driven initiative in cities such as New York to improve heart health in this and other metropolitan areas.

We have also launched a major collaboration with a Japanese telemedicine company to improve outcomes in that country. Similar efforts are taking place in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and elsewhere. While most of these efforts are at an early stage, we believe they can help change the current situation for the better.

We are fully aware that our diverse projects and programs are only part of industry-wide attempts to change the situation on the ground and that thousands of companies, government agencies, regulators and NGOs around the world are working on the challenges at hand. But this does not diminish our efforts. On the contrary, when it comes to healthcare – and especially heart health – all players need to work together. We are prepared for this.

Joerg Reinhardt

Chair of the Board of Directors