Nevian unveils first locally made Novartis brand Galvus Met

Following a majority share transfer, Novartis (Bangladesh) Limited has begun a new chapter as Nevian Lifescience PLC. Under a licensing agreement, Nevian will continue to manufacture and market Novartis' brands in Bangladesh, maintaining the Swiss company's global standards for production and quality assurance.

Marking the transition, the first locally manufactured Novartis brand under Nevian — Galvus Met — was unveiled in Dhaka on 18 October 2025.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included Bilal Belyurt, Commercial Counsellor of the Republic of Turkey; Leonardo de Oliveira Januzzi, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Brazil; Nasimul Goni, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Md Saidur Rahman, Secretary, Health Services Division; Md Obaidur Rahman, Secretary, Ministry of Industries; and Md Fazlur Rahman, Chairman, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), alongside senior representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, government and finance.

Speakers welcomed the Nevian–Novartis collaboration, noting it would ensure continued availability of research-driven medicines for patients despite the ownership change. Nevian Managing Director Musawat Shams Zahedee said the same ingredients, processes, workforce and facilities are being used, so product quality remains unchanged.

Nasser Shahriar Zahedee, founding director of Nevian and Chairman of Radiant Pharma, said the company's vision is to preserve and continue Novartis' legacy of trust in Bangladesh built over five decades.

BCIC Chairman Md Fazlur Rahman said local production of Novartis medicines under Nevian is a step towards greater self-reliance in pharmaceuticals, while Prof Dr Chowdhury Mahmud Hasan, former DGDA head and Professor at the University of Dhaka, called it a testament to the sector's rising capability.

Nevian will keep producing all Novartis medicines in Bangladesh under licence and act as local importer for newly developed Novartis products. Its EU-GMP–certified Tongi facility already contract-manufactures for Sandoz for several European markets. Looking ahead, Nevian plans investment in biotechnology and expansion into the United States.