ZURICH (Reuters) – Novartis’s potential sale of its Sandoz generic drug enterprise is attracting curiosity from potential consumers, Chief Govt Vas Narasimhan mentioned in an interview to be revealed on Friday.

The Swiss prescription drugs firm raised the prospect of divesting Sandoz in October after years of revamping the enterprise, as worth pressures mount within the off-patent drug sector.

Funding group EQT (NYSE:) and the Struengmann household, who’re buyers in BioNTech, are contemplating a joint supply for Sandoz, German media reported in November.

“I’ve learn that as effectively,” Narasimhan advised German weekly journal WirtschaftsWoche in an interview.

“There have been varied requests for extra data. However no concrete presents,” he added.

Novartis would determine by the top of 2022 easy methods to proceed with Sandoz, which achieved gross sales of $9.7 billion final 12 months, about 20% of the group’s complete, Narasimhan added.

“The query we have to make clear by then is: Will Sandoz be extra profitable sooner or later inside or exterior the Novartis group?”

“What is evident is that we need to focus Novartis totally on revolutionary medicines. We generate 80% of our gross sales and 80 to 90% of our income with new medicines, for instance for most cancers, cardiovascular issues or genetic illnesses.”

Novartis just lately bought its 33% stake in Roche to its Basel rival for $21 billion. Narasimhan mentioned the money may very well be used for acquisitions, share buybacks or each.

However he dominated out a big deal.

“We’re not considering a really massive deal. Up to now few years, Novartis has not closed a transaction over ten billion {dollars}. Most of our acquisitions have been lower than one billion.”