Promotional policies and principles: NP⁴

The Novartis Pharma Promotional Practices Policy (NP⁴) is a set of principles and guidelines designed to ensure responsible and ethical marketing of our company's products. Through NP⁴ we strive for consistent high standards in all aspects of promotion, whilst remaining competitive in the markets in which we operate.

The intent of NP⁴ is to secure the credibility and integrity of Novartis in worldwide healthcare by ensuring that promotion to healthcare professionals and the general public is conducted in an ethical and balanced manner, supported by accurate and relevant information, in accordance with local regulations.

NP⁴ applies globally to all aspects of the promotion of prescription pharmaceutical products by Novartis. It draws on the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (2007), the European Federation Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA) European Code of Practice for the Promotion of Medicines (2004), and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code on Interaction with Healthcare Professionals (July 2002). Its aim is to ensure a consistent high worldwide standard, supplementing all national and international legislation and industry codes. Where these diverge, we give precedence to the more stringent requirement.

All Novartis promotional practices must be in line with patients' benefit and enhancement of the practice of medicine and be legal, decent, honest and truthful. Information provided to customers and consumers must take into account their needs for such information and their ability to understand it.

Novartis acknowledges the independence of healthcare professionals and believes that no financial benefit or benefit in kind should be offered or provided in a manner that might exert inappropriate influence on the prescribing practices of healthcare professionals. Promotional efforts must, in quantity and quality, support the correct use of our products and their competitive establishment in local markets. They must be ethical, in good taste and must take local cultural factors, possible international implications and global regulatory requirements into account. Promotion should not make recourse to exaggerated and misleading claims or omissions.

Novartis will only sponsor congresses, symposia and other medical/healthcare and educational programs where the primary objective of such meetings is of a scientific nature and our involvement is clearly disclosed. Hospitality of meetings must be appropriate and secondary to the main purpose of the meeting. Promotional aids, where offered, must be modest and relevant to the practice of the healthcare professional. Gifts for personal benefit and personal incentives to induce healthcare professionals to prescribe and purchase our products are prohibited. Likewise, disguised or misleading promotion is not permitted.