Steffen Lang is President, Operations at Swiss innovative medicines company, Novartis and leads a global network of more than 30 manufacturing sites and a technology-driven supply chain.

Having been part of the company for more than 30 years, Steffen has evolved manufacturing and supply at Novartis into a global network or speed, reliability and reach – dedicated to making and delivering increasingly complex therapies to people around the world.

The evolution of Operations

Over the past decade, Operations at Novartis has been shaped by new technologies and the growing complexity of manufacturing, as therapies have become more innovative and more complex to produce – all while navigating an ever-changing external environment. From Steffen’s perspective, automation, AI and the COVID-19 pandemic have dramatically changed the way Operations has evolved. 

“For us, the worst-case scenario is that there is a patient expecting a medicine and we cannot deliver. That’s why we have focused for many years on optimising our supply chain when it comes to reliability.” 

With Steffen’s leadership, Operations has supported the scale‑up of advanced therapies across Novartis, including the launch of the first individualised CAR‑T cell therapy which reprograms a patient’s own cells to fight cancer. 

Gene therapy followed in 2019, alongside the scaling of siRNA manufacturing for cardiovascular disease and radioligand therapy (RLT) for cancer – all produced through a highly specialised manufacturing and supply network.

RLT is a cutting-edge cancer treatment that is personalised and individually prepared for each patient. “We made a bold bet on RLT eight years ago because we saw its potential to become a foundational pillar of cancer care. We started small with a few patients and a few centres,” Steffen reflects. “Now, we supply RLT to patients worldwide, when and where they need it.”

From production through to testing, release, transport and administration, the full RLT process needs to be completed within three to five days, as the radioactive component begins to decay immediately. “From the moment you start manufacturing RLT, the clock starts ticking. We need to ensure the correct radioactive dose arrives with the patient at the right time,” Steffen adds. 

Despite these challenges – and thanks to the technology supporting its vast supply chain – Novartis is able to deliver RLT treatments to cancer patients with incredible reliability, with more than 99% of injections being administered on the planned day.

For all the discussion around speed, automation and digital scale, Steffen is clear that the fundamentals remain non‑negotiable. Product quality, workplace safety, compliance and environmental sustainability continue to underpin how Operations runs.

An example of strong leadership

Regardless of the industry you work in or your involvement in supply chain, Steffen implores leaders to remind themselves of why they do their job in the first place and use that as a motivator to make real-world impact.

“Every day I get up in the morning, I have no question about whether I enjoy what I am doing. I come to work because together, we make a huge impact – we redefine the future and give hope to patients.”