Novartis AG and Walgreens to Team on Clinical Trials

As pressures mount to boost profits and lower costs, drugmakers are, of course, looking for new ways to generate more prescriptions and improve patient adherence. So it is not surprising that Novartis would reach out to Walgreens, which is one of the largest pharmacy chains in the US, to discuss various efforts that might benefit both companies. Among the topics discussed is a program that Novartis calls ‘Clinical Trials of the Future,’ which the drugmaker would like to establish in Walgreens pharmacies, according to a blog that Novartis ceo Joe Jimenez wrote to employees this week. The idea is for the chain, which has more than 7,700 US pharmacies, to make it easier for trial participants to remain in clinical studies.