# Novartis shareholder calls for board overhaul following costly deal setbacks: Reuters

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-09-10 19:07 UTC · Category: Business

## Executive Summary
A major Novartis shareholder is demanding a board overhaul following a series of costly drug trial setbacks and strategic failures.

## Intelligence Brief
Novartis is facing intense scrutiny from its investment community after a series of setbacks regarding its pharmaceutical assets. According to an exclusive report from Reuters, a major shareholder has called for a board shake-up, citing the financial and strategic impact of costly deal failures. This internal pressure coincides with the news that Del-desiran, a candidate drug, failed its late-stage DM1 study, a development that resulted in a drop in the company's share price as reported by Yahoo Finance. The company is currently grappling with these trial failures while investors shift their focus toward the organization's mergers and acquisitions strategy. Coverage from several industry-specific outlets emphasizes the broader impact of these events.


BioSpace reports that Novartis is dragging its peers down due to what it describes as a triple asset stumble. Fierce Pharma and FirstWord PHARMA have also highlighted the reports of the shareholder's demand for a board overhaul, focusing on the connection between the failed deals and the push for leadership change. Meanwhile, Barron's has raised questions regarding whether more pain is on the way for the pharmaceutical giant, reflecting a general sense of instability surrounding the company's current trajectory. To understand why this is trending, it is necessary to look at the sequence of failures involving the company's pipeline. The failure of the late-stage DM1 study for Del-desiran serves as a concrete example of the trial setbacks that have triggered investor alarm.


The context provided by Reuters suggests that these are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of costly deal setbacks that have now led a significant investor to challenge the current governance of the company. The intersection of clinical failure and financial loss has turned the spotlight directly onto the board's decision-making processes and its approach to M&A. Looking ahead, the market will be watching for the official response from the Novartis board regarding the call for an overhaul. Further developments will likely center on the fallout from the Del-desiran study failure and how the company intends to address the triple asset stumble mentioned by BioSpace. Investors will likely monitor whether other major shareholders join the call for a shake-up or if the company announces changes to its leadership or M&A strategy to stabilize the share price and restore confidence in its drug development pipeline.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Barron's | Novartis: More Pain on the Way? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie0FVX3lxTFA2NkZVRmZNM2QtV2dkcXNUamZWRFUxZV91SGp3Yzc1dG1hRVJ2SkN2NkV1TFlCTFp2ZVpmV0FsX2s3dkJUS21uQjE5VHlRZXNza0pDc2ZrU2VMalYyME90cHh3VTBENWFPNWI2dG1fc3NwY2szTENtWS1tVQ?oc=5) |
| BioSpace | Novartis drags peers down with triple asset stumble | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxNR0JMUVZ4SHUwcTN4T21TSUd0VGNobnNnUjJBMzFQd2tfek5pcU9yR2FUbnNEQV9qRlZGS1NZR2h0RW1zMkJOcTA5by1DMXZ1Zm0wT3VWRm1BVHVJVXhzZFA0SnluSUJLQmJEbkc4cHM5UE5DbnVkdmVjNzBSWG1INVl4bVc5NzVTekR3?oc=5) |
| FirstWord PHARMA | Major shareholder calls for board change at Novartis: report | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiU0FVX3lxTE5USlZTTkgxcDV1cTItWXJkenFGc2REbTZ1RHBuSVNEUjlIcVg5Z1A3Q19PbXBsODhFTXdUclU4Zi1pV2pVVmlXVFVVWnZNUW0zWFhv?oc=5) |
| Reuters | Novartis investors turn spotlight on M&A after trial setbacks | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPbE5PNjB4SzVOajk3VHBTRG5HYlNYTXY1T0pVZWFFbU5qbWNtbk9DWXJaRk1YdjJwOVFRR1hwZGRHM3Vubm5tbGdJVTVQa2lBNURwcm9HXzBHUWdEMjB6LTMtVVZOd21EYWt1MnhXNlphQS1XOHBiaHZSWlBCVU10Nk1DM203anVKZzhJTEd2NjMwUDBHNFVlMDdJV0c1OVozbF8wOVpIcDBTZ0F2T291ZnQ2NA?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Finance | Novartis' Del-desiran Fails Late-Stage DM1 Study, Shares Fall | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxNNjNDcXZXejJCRkJjc3V6T05HZHV1MWN6ZmwwOGlaSnlzaVhsby1peHFHeHduMmwyYkM2ejZ6ZDRkaDhOTHFKbjYzMWtQbWo0c2NXQ1Y2dmIxb1M4OUloY1lSNVBwWTZEVlhMOUNsZlBOTTJWVUp6cXdqSzVQUFZWQXhBTUdobEdXYUxyeExMTGNTeTBXcTBBZg?oc=5) |
| Reuters | EXCLUSIVE: Major Novartis shareholder calls for board shake-up after drug trial setbacks | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNRXkycUxwWU1iSXF2SUJuVWxOTHZ6ZDVlYW5aZS1wdlhDUzBlSHNqZkQtbFlvZ1dhYkRkNmpobW9pT0NPeE82MmJfdVFnaUlNZ1J3emlGc3dDdHhpUTBGTFhTdFg1R0hnRTR5a3FnUjI5Wnh5d2d0R0llaUNoNHJfMXpUSmVsc2VlM0swd1lpQU91T0pGanZGZ1gxSTBpY3B3NVpoSlppVk1Ob1ZqODRXNExtT01RQQ?oc=5) |
| Fierce Pharma | Novartis shareholder calls for board overhaul following costly deal setbacks: Reuters | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxOU3dDcDJDWXZRZTVPRzZGZEg5blpnSmJrSThRWjZMSHpkaTVhUTA4ckFZYktDdlIwcUVGNzN3MUhvX2xzNmtodzFIN29ETGQ5NS1vTlNWbmtyZUo3RzFiU0hmSjNJdERnN1ViNEdyVURlcXcxRzI3Wl8zSDhWY0k1Q29QM1BDbnJXR3F2dEtKb1V1RlE0UjFvNlBPNmh5c1VkcUN2N3p5Sjdkek1JOF93a205dzlMaVk?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-09-10/novartis-shareholder-calls-for-board-overhaul-following-costly-deal-setbacks*