UPDATE 2-Novartis talks up promising cancer portfolio

* Drugmakers aim to boost high-margin cancer drugs

* Novartis to file Tasigna for first-line leukaemia in Dec.

* Sees combined Tasigna, Glivec sales beating $5 billion

* Sees three more filings in 2009, including MS drug FTY720

* Shares near flat

(Adds detail on cancer drugs, market and analyst reaction)

By Sam Cage

ZURICH, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) expects to file for two new approvals of cancer drugs, including big hope Tasigna, by the end of the month and has several more on the way to further boost its lucrative portfolio.

Drugmakers are keen to expand their offering of high-margin cancer drugs, which are less vulnerable to competition than other franchises and tend to command higher prices, and Novartis has several new products on their way through development.

The drugmaker is relying on Tasigna -- which it is set to file for approval as a first-line leukaemia treatment -- to make up for any lost sales of Glivec, its second best-selling medicine, which will lose patent protection over the next few years.

"I think the two drugs can beat $5 billion in combined sales," Novartis oncology head David Epstein told Reuters ahead of an investor event on Wednesday.

"Tasigna is keeping people in early stage of the disease and these are the people who are likely to survive longer."

Epstein said Novartis had overtaken Amgen (AMGN.O) as the world's second-biggest maker of cancer drugs, but still trailed local Swiss rival Roche (ROG.VX).

Investors were underwhelmed by Novartis's upbeat statement and shares were down 0.4 percent to 56.45 Swiss francs by 0855 GMT, in line with the DJ Stoxx European healthcare index .SXDP.

NEW DRUGS

Novartis plans to file Tasigna for approval as a first-line treatment against a type of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in the United States and European Union by the end of the month.

It also aims for U.S. and EU filings for Zometa in adjuvant breast cancer patients by the end of December, while potential billion-dollar seller FTY720 is also on track for submissions this month against multiple sclerosis.

The Basel-based group plans five more regulatory submissions for cancer drugs in 2010, including expanding the use of potential billion-dollar seller Afinitor, and has brought forward a planned filing to expand the use of eye drug Lucentis for a diabetes-related cause of blindness to this month.

Kepler Capital Markets analyst Tero Weckroth said he was concerned about 2010, when Novartis will likely seal a $28 billion deal to buy a majority in eyecare group Alcon ACL.N from Nestle (NESN.VX) and top-selling blood pressure drug Diovan faces more competition.

"We believe the risks in 2010 guidance are to the downside," Weckroth said. (Editing by Dan Lalor and Karen Foster)