The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) are pioneering a scientific approach that focuses on discovering and developing medicines for diseases with significant unmet medical needs for which the underlying mechanism of disease is known.

Research at NIBR is a truly multi-disciplinary, worldwide endeavor. Once we have identified innovative drug candidates, these are taken over by the Novartis Development organization, whose role is to demonstrate that the new therapies are safe, effective, of high quality and of superior value to patients. At every stage of the drug development process, from initial target and compound selection to Phase III trials, Novartis strives to apply high standards of ethical conduct across the full range of its R&D activities. The head of NIBR is responsible for ensuring that research practices at Novartis meet both our own corporate ethical standards and those we must comply with by law. NIBR is subject to the same integrity and compliance program that applies company-wide. In addition, there are specific ethical issues that arise in R&D, such as the need to maintain high standards of scientific conduct in proposing, conducting, or reporting research. NIBR strongly condemns the use of data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or any other practice that deviates from those commonly accepted as good practice within the scientific community..