Thanks Novartis…I guess I could sell my soul for a nice hotel room.

Sorry this is so delayed...I just found available internet during my extended travels.

The trip to Novartis in Basel, Switzerland was really interesting. I knew there was a lot of work that went into creating a drug, but I had never been able to see the behind the scenes work that goes into creating a product. I was really impressed with their preparation for our visit. I really did not know much about their products before visiting their animal health department, but they gave very informative presentations.

I really enjoyed getting a tour of the facilities. They showed us where these products are created. There are so many obstacles to overcome and a great deal of research that as to be done before a product goes out in the market. Now it makes sense why it takes as little as 5 years for a product to go out. I was really interested in how they create a palatable pill, etc for the animal to take. The small details that go into each step are amazing. The powder has to be homogenous otherwise different amounts of the active ingredient will be distributed to each pill. Then the pill has to be coated so that it does not immediately dissolve in the mouth and dissolves at the pH of where the medicine should be digested. Additionally, they can add another coating that makes the medication taste better—whether within the pill or on the outside. Just one little problem with any step can lead to a set back in the distribution of the product.

I am also impressed (and I guess would also expect) with how much research goes into testing of the product and determining shelf life. The various products spend varying times (months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years) in the many “coolers” in the basement. These coolers are set at different temperatures and levels of humidity. Determination of shelf life appears to be a complex interweaving of different factors that have to be weighed out. The veterinarian that overlooked this portion of testing was very knowledgeable and answered many of our probing questions.

I think the St. Aubin Animal Health research center adds on to the layering that makes companies such as Novartis work so well. Working with the parasites and animals to have controlled studies that determine in what capacity the product should be used and if it works. I enjoyed seeing their colonies of dogs, cats, and even ticks and flies. My eyes have been opened to ideas I had never even thought of before.

Overall my experience at Novartis was a positive one (even if they didn’t let me keep my name badge) and I would definitely support their products in the future.