Novartis faces challenges with blockbuster drugs and patent cliffs

• Novartis faces challenges in developing its next generation of blockbuster medicines due to clinical trial setbacks.
• The company has raised its guidance despite the impact of drug-trial setbacks on its profit.
• The setbacks highlight Novartis' difficulty in building its next generation of blockbuster medicines.
• The company is moving past a patent cliff, which adds to its challenges.
• The situation impacts Novartis' ability to maintain its market position and profitability.