Sep 8, 2026 · 7 min
Drug setbacks hit Novartis as AI demand lifts Computacenter
Novartis Slumps, Sandoz Gains, Computacenter Up
The episode contrasts pharmaceutical execution risk with the less visible companies benefiting from surging investment in AI infrastructure.
- 1Novartis shares fell after a third clinical-trial setback in roughly a week, including a late-stage muscle-wasting disease study.
- 2Sandoz raised its medium-term outlook and plans to expand its biosimilar portfolio from 13 products to more than 100 by 2040.
- 3Computacenter reached a record high after raising 2026 profit guidance again on strong US demand for AI data-center infrastructure.
Don't miss
Computacenter’s record high shows how AI investment can benefit an established infrastructure supplier that is less prominent than the biggest technology companies.
The brief
Novartis shares fell after a third clinical-trial setback in roughly a week, with the latest failure involving a late-stage treatment study for a muscle-wasting disease.
Sandoz offered a sharper contrast: the former Novartis unit raised its medium-term guidance and plans to grow from 13 biosimilars today to more than 100 by 2040.
Computacenter reached a record high after upgrading its 2026 profit guidance again, helped by US hyperscalers buying servers, hardware, and software for data centers.
The episode closes by previewing a separate smart-cities discussion on using AI, long-term planning, and urban innovation to manage rapid population growth.
What was said on this episode
7 statements · 4 positive · 2 negative · 1 neutral
Novartis’s revenue ambition for the failed drug will be revised downward.
“that ambition will have to... certainly be revised down”
Listen at 1:39
Novartis’s best-selling drugs face a major patent-cliff challenge.
“a bunch of its best-selling drugs are facing a patent cliff”
Listen at 2:03
Semaglutide patents have begun expiring in some countries.
“the patents for semaglutide, which is the key ingredient for Zempec. That has started to expire in some countries”
Listen at 3:08
Semaglutide patent expirations enable Sandoz to sell cheaper generic versions.
“that's paving the way for generic drug companies like Sandoz to sell cheaper versions of this key ingredient”
Listen at 3:16
Computacenter is a lesser-known beneficiary of AI investment.
“Computer Centre is essentially one of those slightly lesser known AI. winners”
Listen at 3:59
Computacenter shares may have further upside.
“it seems that there might be even further to go for a computer center”
Listen at 4:43
AI will accelerate processes in smart-city systems.
“AI will allow in the smart city space to compress a lot of things. the speed will change.”
Listen at 5:33
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
SandozBooks & mentions
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