SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

o

Rule 13d-1(b)

o

Rule 13d-1(c)

x

Rule 13d-1(d)

CUSIP No. 008786 108

13G

1.

Names of Reporting Persons
Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)

(a)

o

(b)

o

3.

SEC Use Only

4.

Citizenship or Place of Organization
Switzerland

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With:

5.

Sole Voting Power
0

6.

Shared Voting Power
1,768,141

7.

Sole Dispositive Power
0

8.

Shared Dispositive Power
1,768,141

9.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
1,768,141

10.

Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9
9.88%

12.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
CO

CUSIP No. 008786 108

13G

1.

Names of Reporting Persons
Novartis AG

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)

(a)

o

(b)

o

3.

SEC Use Only

4.

Citizenship or Place of Organization
Switzerland

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With:

5.

Sole Voting Power
0

6.

Shared Voting Power
1,768,141

7.

Sole Dispositive Power
0

8.

Shared Dispositive Power
1,768,141

9.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
1,768,141

10.

Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9
9.88%

12.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
CO

Item 1(a).

Name of Issuer:
Bicycle Therapeutics plc

Item 1(b).

Address of Issuer’s Principal Executive Offices:
B900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom

Item 2(a).

Name of Person Filing:

This statement is filed on behalf of the following persons with respect to the Ordinary Shares of the Issuer:

(i)            Novartis Bioventures Ltd., a Swiss corporation, with respect to shares held by it; and

(ii)           Novartis AG, a Swiss corporation, as the publicly owned parent of Novartis Bioventures Ltd., with respect to the shares held by Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

The foregoing persons are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Reporting Persons.”

Item 2(b).

Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence:
The address of the principal business office of Novartis Bioventures Ltd. and Novartis AG is Lichtstrasse 35, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.

Item 2(c).

Citizenship:
Novartis Bioventures Ltd. is a corporation organized under the laws of Switzerland and is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Novartis AG.

Novartis AG is a corporation organized under the laws of Switzerland and is the publicly owned parent of Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

Item 2(d).

Title of Class of Securities:
Ordinary Shares, nominal value £0.01 per share (“Ordinary Shares”).

Item 2(e).

CUSIP Number:
008786 108 (CUSIP number of the Issuer’s American depositary shares, each of which represents one Ordinary Share).

Item 3.

If this statement is filed pursuant to §§240.13d-1(b), or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

(a)

o

Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o);

(b)

o

Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);

(c)

o

Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);

(d)

o

Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8);

(e)

o

An investment adviser in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

(f)

o

An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

(g)

o

A parent holding company or control person in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

(h)

o

A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

(i)

o

A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3);

(j)

o

A non-U.S. institution in accordance with §240.13d–1(b)(1)(ii)(J);

(k)

o

Group, in accordance with §240.13d–1(b)(1)(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with

§240.13d–1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution:____________________________

Item 4.

Ownership

(a)

Amount beneficially owned:   

Novartis Bioventures Ltd. is the record owner of 1,768,141 Ordinary Shares of the Issuer. As the indirect parent of Novartis Bioventures, Ltd., Novartis AG may be deemed to beneficially own these securities.

(b)

Percent of class:   

9.88%, based upon 17,902,869 Ordinary Shares reported by the Issuer as outstanding as of October 31, 2019, as reported in the Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 7, 2019.

(c)

Number of shares as to which the person has:

(i)

Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:   

Not applicable

(ii)

Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:    

1,768,141

(iii)

Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:   

Not applicable

(iv)

Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:   

1,768,141

Item 5.

Ownership of 5 Percent or Less of a Class

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than 5 percent of the class of securities, check the following   o.

Item 6.

Ownership of More than 5 Percent on Behalf of Another Person

Not Applicable

Item 7.

Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company or Control Person.

Not Applicable

Item 8.

Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

Not Applicable

Item 9.

Notice of Dissolution of a Group

Not Applicable

Item 10.

Certification

Not applicable.

NOVARTIS BIOVENTURES LTD.

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

Name: Bart Dzikowski

Title: Secretary of the Board

/s/ Florian Muellershausen

Name: Florian Muellershausen

Title: Authorized Signatory

NOVARTIS AG

/s/ Christian Rehm

Name: Christian Rehm

Title: Authorized Signatory

/s/ Florian Muellershausen

Name: Florian Muellershausen

Title: Authorized Signatory

Exhibit Number

Exhibit Description

99.1

Evidence of Signature Authority

99.2

Power of Attorney

99.3

Joint Filing Agreement

Identification number

Legal status

Entry

Cancelled

Carried CH-270.3.002.061-2-2

from: CH-270.3.002.061-2/a

1

CHE-103.867.266

Limited or Corporation

01.03.1996

on:

All data

In

Ca

Business name

Ref

Legal seat

1

Novartis AG

1

Basel

1

(Novartis SA) (Novartis Inc.)

CHE-103.867.266

Novartis AG

Basel

3

All data

In

Mo

Ca

Personal Data

Function

Signature

1

Rehm, Christian Jakob, von Illanz/Glion, in Muttenz

joint signature at two

CHE-103.867.266

Novartis AG

Basel

3

In

Mo

Ca

Personal Data

Function

Signature

1

Roth Pellanda, Katja Nicole, von Basel, in Basel

joint signature at two

Novartis AG

/s/ C. Rehm

Name: Christian Rehm

Title: Authorized Signatory

/s/ K. Roth Pellanda

Name: Katja Roth Pellanda

Title: Authorized Signatory

NOVARTIS BIOVENTURES LTD.

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

Name: Bart Dzikowski

Title: Secretary of the Board

/s/ Florian Muellershausen

Name: Florian Muellershausen

Title: Authorized Signatory

NOVARTIS AG

/s/ Christian Rehm

Name: Christian Rehm

Title: Authorized Signatory

/s/ Florian Muellershausen

Name: Florian Muellershausen

Title: Authorized Signatory