Novartis in Slovenia celebrates Pride Month by raising the rainbow flag

  • At  the beginning of Pride Month, Novartis in Slovenia, where Lek d.d., Novartis Pharma Services Inc. and Sandoz d.d., operate, has raised a rainbow flag at its locations in support of the LGBTQI+ community.
  • By donning the rainbow flag, the  company is raising awareness of basic human rights and advocating for an end to discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation and other personal circumstances.
  • The company recognizes diversity, inclusion and equity as core values and the foundation for innovation and  progress.
5. 6. 2023

Today, Novartis in Slovenia, which includes Lek, a Sandoz company, raised the rainbow flag in Ljubljana and Mengeš in support of Pride Month. This symbolic act demonstrates the company's support for its associates and other members of the LGBTQI+ community, as well as its commitment to respecting their rights and ensuring their equal social inclusion.

Creating an inclusive work environment and promoting diversity in the workplace is at the core of our company's culture: "Diversity and inclusion are two of our core values. When we feel included and accepted, we can best contribute to our collective success and progress, which is why we prioritize mutual respect and equity as an integral part of our culture," stated Aymeric Royere, NovartisCountry President Slovenia and General Manager Innovative Medicines Slovenia.For many years, the company has implemented a number of measures to ensure an inclusive and equal working environment. "Every day, we strive to ensure that our associates – regardless of their personal circumstances or limitations– are valued for their abilities and contribution to our common mission,"added Jana Petek, CEO, Novartis d.o.o

The company has been flying the rainbow flag in support of Pride Month for several years, setting an important example for the general public. Robert Ljoljo, Sandoz CountryPresident Slovenia and President of the Board of Management of Lek: "I am extremely proud of all my associates and their dedication to making a change for the better. Well-being at the workplace is a cornerstone for success, innovation and breakthrough solutions that increase access to medicines around the world. This is why we are leading by example and keeping an open spirit, which we amplify every year with this symbolic gesture so we can reach people beyond our company and help them see the value of diversity and inclusion."

The main focus of activities in the area of LGBTQI+ inclusion is raising awareness about the legal and social status of the community, fight for equal rights, abolition of discrimination and acceptance of diversity. During PrideMonth, a rainbow flag is proudly displayed in front of our office buildings asa show of support. The company is also a recipient of the LGBT-friendly certificate awarded by the Municipality of Ljubljana.

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Novartis is the leading provider of medicines in Slovenia, where Lek d.d., Novartis Pharma Services Inc. and Sandoz d.d., operate. Together we are building and maintaining the reputation of a dynamic, ethical, and trusted pharmaceutical company. Lek develops, manufactures, and markets effective, safe, and high quality medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With our knowledge, quality, and experience we have gained an important role in Novartis' organizational structure, especially in the Novartis Operations, Global Drug Development and the generic division Sandoz. We are the leading Sandoz development center, and one of the key development sites for technologically complex projects. We invest a great deal in the development, education, and training of our employees. Novartis invested in Slovenia more than EUR 3.4billion since 2003.

About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical needs. Our ambition is to be the world’s leading and most valued generics company. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2022 sales of USD 9.2 billion.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. We deliver high-value medicines that alleviate society’s greatest disease burdens through technology leadership in R&D and novel access approaches. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. About 103,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work together to bring Novartis products to nearly 800million people around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

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This press release contains statements and forecasts of future business operations.The forecasts include estimates based on all the information currently available to us. Should these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results of business operations could be different from those expected.

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For further information, please contact:
Gregor  Makuc
Corporate Affairs
Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d.
Telephone: 01 580 22 43
gregor.makuc@sandoz.com