Novartis signs deal to boost cell therapy portfolio ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said on Friday it had signed a licensing and research deal that could boost its ability to develop innovative cell-based therapies for conditions where little treatment is currently available. The maker of blockbuster blood pressure drug Diovan said it would use a stem-cell based platform developed by U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company Regenerex to help broaden its cell therapy portfolio. Timothy Wright, head of development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said the agreement would support Novartis' leadership position in cell therapy.