Novartis exercises exclusive option agreement with Conatus for the treatment of NASH - Seite 3

About Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
NASH is a chronic, progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide and it is estimated to affect 3% to 5% of the US population alone[2]. As fat builds up in the liver, it triggers a vicious cycle of chronic inflammation and liver scarring called fibrosis. Over time, liver inflammation and fibrosis may progress to cirrhosis, which can lead to liver failure and, barring a transplant, death. NASH is expected to be the principal cause of liver transplantation in the US by 2020[1] and is currently the leading cause of liver transplants for people under 50 in the US[3].

Disclaimer
The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "option," "growing," "portfolio," "initiated," "would," "expected," "by 2020," "will," "potential," "look forward," "investigational," "Fast Track designation," "to develop," "may," "can," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals for emricasan and the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, either as single agents or in combination, or for cenicriviroc in combination with the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, or regarding potential future revenues from emricasan and the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, either as single agents or in combination, or from cenicriviroc in combination with the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, or regarding the exercise of the option for the license for emricasan, or regarding the intended goals and objectives of the collaboration with Conatus and license for emricasan, and the clinical collaboration with Allergan. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the necessary government approvals for the option exercise will be obtained in any particular time frame, or at all. Neither can there be any guarantee that any other closing conditions for the option exercise will be met in any particular time frame, or at all. Nor can there be any guarantee that the collaboration with Conatus and license for emricasan, or the clinical collaboration with Allergan, will achieve any of their intended goals and objectives, or in any particular time frame. Neither can there be any guarantee that emricasan or the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, either as single agents or in combination, or cenicriviroc in combination with the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, will be submitted or approved for sale in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that emricasan or the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, either as single agents or in combination, or cenicriviroc in combination with the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding emricasan and the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, either as single agents or in combination, cenicriviroc in combination with the FXR agonists being developed internally by Novartis, the option for the license for emricasan, and the clinical collaboration with Allergan, could be affected by, among other things, the potential that the intended goals and objectives of the collaboration with Conatus and license for emricasan, or the clinical collaboration with Allergan, may not be achieved or may take longer to achieve than expected; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally, including a failure to obtain necessary government approvals for the option exercise, or delays in obtaining such approvals; the potential that any other closing conditions for the option exercise may not be met; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing and reimbursement pressures; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, 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.