Novartis AG News

April 11--Incoming Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. president and CEO Jeremy Levin, who will succeed Shlomo Yanai next month, has been reviewing the company's drug development process.

Novartis was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday.

When you ask around the drug industry who the best leader of the last two decades was, Daniel Vasella's name always comes up.

Shareholder group Ethos called for Novartis investors to vote against re-electing board members who were among those deciding on the pay awarded to the Swiss drugmaker's chairman, Daniel Vasella.

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG has backed down from plans to close a Swiss plant which makes over-the-counter products, after reaching a deal with local authorities and employees, it announced on Tuesday.