Novartis

Novartis AG is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and was the eighth largest by revenue in 2024.

Novartis makes many important medicines, such as clozapine (Clozaril), diclofenac (Voltaren), carbamazepine (Tegretol), valsartan (Diovan), imatinib mesylate (Gleevec/Glivec), and letrozole (Femara), among others.

The company was formed in 1996 by the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. At the time, it was considered the largest corporate merger in history. Over the years, Novartis has focused on making medicines and developing new treatments to help people around the world.

History

Novartis was created in March 1996 and began operations on 20 December from the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, both Swiss companies.

Ciba-Geigy

Ciba-Geigy was formed in 1970 by the merger of J. R. Geigy Ltd (founded in Basel in 1857) and CIBA (founded in Basel in 1859).

Ciba began in 1859, when Alexander Clavel (1805–1873) took up the production of fuchsine in his factory for silk-dyeing works in Basel. By 1873, he sold his dye factory to the company Bindschedler and Busch. In 1884, Bindschedler and Busch was transformed into a joint-stock company named "Gesellschaft für Chemische Industrie Basel" (Company for Chemical Industry Basel). The acronym, CIBA, was adopted as the company's name in 1945.

The foundation for Geigy was established in 1857, when Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian (1830–1917) and Johann Muller-Pack acquired a site in Basel, where they built a dyewood mill and a dye extraction plant. Two years later, they began the production of synthetic fuchsine. In 1901, they formed the public limited company Geigy, and the name of the company was changed to J. R. Geigy Ltd in 1914.

CIBA and Geigy merged in 1970 to form Ciba-Geigy Ltd. /ˌsiːbə ˈɡaɪɡi/.

Mid-1990s controversy

In the mid-1990s, state and federal health and environmental agencies identified an increased incidence of childhood cancers in Toms River, New Jersey, from the 1970–1995 period. Multiple investigations by state and federal environmental and health agencies indicated that the likely source of the increased cancer risk was contamination from Toms River Chemical Plant (then operated by Ciba-Geigy), which had been in operation since 1952, and the Reich Farm/Union Carbide. The area was designated a United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in 1983 after an underground plume of toxic chemicals was identified. The following year, a discharge pipe was shut down after a sinkhole at the corner of Bay Avenue and Vaughn Avenue revealed that it had been leaking. The plant ceased operation in 1996. A follow-up study from the 1996–2000 period indicated that while there were more cancer cases than expected, rates had significantly fallen and the difference was statistically insignificant compared to normal statewide cancer rates.^{[citation needed]} Since 1996, the Toms River water system has been subject to the most stringent water testing in New Jersey and is considered safe for consumption. Dan Fagin's Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation, the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning book, examined the issue of industrial pollution at the site in detail.

Sandoz

Main article: Sandoz

Sandoz is the generic drugs division of Novartis. Before the 1996 merger with Ciba-Geigy to form Novartis, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (Sandoz AG) was a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland (as was Ciba-Geigy), and was best known for developing drugs such as Sandimmune for organ transplantation, the antipsychotic Clozaril, Mellaril Tablets and Serentil Tablets for treating psychiatric disorders, and Cafergot Tablets and Torecan Suppositories for treating migraine headaches.

The Chemiefirma Kern und Sandoz ("Kern and Sandoz Chemistry Firm") was founded in 1886 by Alfred Kern (1850–1893) and Edouard Sandoz (1853–1928). The first dyes manufactured by them were alizarinblue and auramine. After Kern's death, the partnership became the corporation Chemische Fabrik vormals Sandoz in 1895. The company began producing the fever-reducing drug antipyrin in the same year. In 1899, the company began producing the sugar substitute saccharin. Further pharmaceutical research began in 1917 under Arthur Stoll (1887–1971), who is the founder of Sandoz's pharmaceutical department in 1917. In 1918, Arthur Stoll isolated ergotamine from ergot; the substance was eventually used to treat migraine and headaches and was introduced under the trade name Gynergen in 1921.

Between the World Wars, Gynergen (1921) and Calcium-Sandoz (1929) were brought to market. Sandoz also produced chemicals for textiles, paper, and leather, beginning in 1929. In 1939, the company began producing agricultural chemicals.

The psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) were discovered at the Sandoz laboratories in 1943 by Arthur Stoll and Albert Hofmann. Sandoz began clinical trials and marketed the substance, from 1947 through the mid-1960s, under the name Delysid as a psychiatric drug, thought useful for treating a wide variety of mental ailments, ranging from alcoholism to sexual deviancy. Sandoz suggested in its marketing literature that psychiatrists take LSD themselves, to gain a better subjective understanding of the schizophrenic experience, and many did exactly that and so did other scientific researchers. The Sandoz product received mass publicity as early as 1954, in a Time magazine feature. Research on LSD peaked in the 1950s and early 1960s. The CIA purchased quantities of LSD from Sandoz for use in its illegal human experimentation program known as MKUltra. Sandoz withdrew the drug from the market in 1965. The drug became a cultural novelty of the 1960s after psychologist Timothy Leary at Harvard University began to promote its use for recreational and spiritual experiences among the general public.

Sandoz opened its first foreign offices in 1964. In 1967, Sandoz merged with Wander AG (known for Ovomaltine and Isostar). Sandoz acquired the companies Delmark, Wasabröd (a Swedish manufacturer of crisp bread), and Gerber Products Company (a baby food company). On 1 November 1986, a fire broke out in a production plant storage room, which led to the Sandoz chemical spill and a large amount of pesticide being released into the upper Rhine river. This exposure killed many fish and other aquatic life. In 1995, Sandoz spun off its specialty chemicals business to form Clariant. In 1997, Clariant merged with the specialty chemicals business that was spun off from Hoechst AG in Germany.

Merger

In 1996, Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz, with the pharmaceutical and agrochemical divisions of both staying together to form Novartis. Other Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz businesses were spun off as independent companies. notably Ciba Specialty Chemicals. Sandoz's Master Builders Technologies, a producer of chemicals for the construction industry, was sold off to SKW Trostberg A.G., a subsidiary of the German energy company VIAG, while its North American corn herbicide business became part of the German chemical maker BASF.

Post-merger

In 1998, the company entered into a biotechnology licensing agreement with the University of California at Berkeley Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. Critics of the agreement expressed concern over prospects that the agreement would diminish academic objectivity, or lead to the commercialization of genetically modified plants. The agreement expired in 2003.

2000–2010

In 2000, Novartis and AstraZeneca combined their agrobusiness divisions to create a new company, Syngenta.

In 2003, Novartis organized all its generics businesses into one division, and merged some of its subsidiaries into one company, reusing the predecessor brand name of Sandoz.

In 2005, Novartis expanded its subsidiary Sandoz significantly through the US$8.29 billion acquisition of Hexal, one of Germany's leading generic drug companies, and Eon Labs, a fast-growing United States generic pharmaceutical company.

In 2006, Novartis acquired the California-based Chiron Corporation. Chiron had been divided into three units: Chiron Vaccines, Chiron Blood Testing, and Chiron BioPharmaceuticals. The biopharmaceutical unit was integrated into Novartis Pharmaceuticals, while the vaccines and blood testing units were made into a new Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics division. Also in 2006, Sandoz became the first company to have a biosimilar drug approved in Europe with its recombinant human growth hormone drug.

In 2007, Novartis sold the Gerber Products Company to Nestlé as part of its continuing effort to shed old Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy businesses and focus on healthcare.

In 2009, Novartis reached an agreement to acquire an 85 percent stake in the Chinese vaccines company Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as part of a strategic initiative to build a vaccines industry leader in this country and expand the group's limited presence in this fast-growing market segment. This proposed acquisition will require government and regulatory approvals in China.

In 2010, Novartis offered to pay US$39.3 billion to fully acquire Alcon, the world's largest eye-care company, including a majority stake held by Nestlé. Novartis had bought 25 percent of Alcon in 2008. Novartis created a new division and called it Alcon, under which it placed its CIBA VISION subsidiary and Novartis Ophthalmics, which became the second-largest division of Novartis. The total cost for Alcon amounted to $60 billion.

2011–present

In 2011, Novartis acquired the medical laboratory diagnostics company Genoptix to "serve as a strong foundation for our (Novartis') individualized treatment programs".

In 2012, the Company cut approximately 2,000 positions in the United States, primarily in sales, in response to anticipated revenue downturns from the hypertension drug Diovan, which was losing patent protection, and the realization that the anticipated successor to Diovan, Rasilez, was failing in clinical trials. The 2012 personnel reductions follow ~2000 cut positions in Switzerland and the United States in 2011, ~1400 cut positions in the United States in 2010, and a reduction of "thousands" and several site closures in previous years. Also in 2012, Novartis became the biggest manufacturer of generic skin care medicine, after agreeing to buy Fougera Pharmaceuticals for $1.525 billion in cash.

In 2013, the Indian Supreme Court issued a decision rejecting Novartis' patent application in India on the final form of Gleevec, Novartis's cancer drug; the case caused great controversy.

In January 2014, Novartis announced plans to cut 500 jobs from its pharmaceuticals division. In February 2014, Novartis announced that it acquired CoStim Pharmaceuticals.

In May 2014, Novartis purchased the rights to market Ophthotech's Fovista (an anti-PDGF aptamer, also being investigated for use in combination with anti-VEGF treatments) outside the U.S. for up to $1 billion. Novartis acquired exclusive rights to market the eye drug outside of the states while retaining U.S. marketing rights. The company agreed to pay Ophthotech $200 million upfront, and $130 million in milestone payments relating to Phase III trials. Ophthotech is also eligible to receive up to $300 million dependent upon future marketing approval milestones outside of America and up to $400 million relating to sales milestones. In September 2014, Ophthotech received its first $50 million phase III trial milestone payment from Novartis. In April 2014, Novartis announced that it would acquire GlaxoSmithKline's cancer drug business for $16 billion as well as selling its vaccines business to GlaxoSmithKline for $7.1 billion. In August 2014 Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News reported that Novartis had acquired a 15 percent stake in Gamida Cell for $35 million, with the option to purchase the whole company for approximately $165 million. In October 2014, Novartis announced its intention to sell its influenza vaccine business (inclusive of its development pipeline), subject to regulatory approval, to CSL for $275 million.

In March 2015, the company announced BioPharma had completed its acquisition of two Phase III cancer-drug candidates; the MEK inhibitor binimetinib (MEK 162) and the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib (LGX818), for $85 million. In addition, the company sold its RNAi portfolio to Arrowhead Research for $10 million and $25 million in stock. In June, the company announced it would acquire Spinifex Pharmaceuticals for more than $200 million. In August, the company acquired the remaining rights to the CD20 monoclonal antibody Ofatumumab from GlaxoSmithKline for up to $1 billion. In October the company acquired Admune Therapeutics for an undisclosed sum, as well as licensing PBF-509, an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist which is in Phase I clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer, from Palobiofarma.

In November 2016, the company announced it would acquire Selexys Pharmaceuticals for $665 million. In December, the company acquired Encore Vision, gaining the company's principle compound, EV06, is a first-in-class topical therapy for presbyopia. In December Novartis acquired Ziarco Group Limited, bolstering its presence in eczema treatments.

In late October 2017, Reuters announced that Novartis would acquire Advanced Accelerator Applications for $3.9 billion, paying $41 per ordinary share and $82 per American depositary share representing a 47 percent premium.

In March 2018, GlaxoSmithKline announced that it has reached an agreement with Novartis to acquire Novartis' 36.5 percent stake in their Consumer Healthcare Joint Venture for $13 billion (£9.2 billion). In April of the same year, the business utilised some of the proceeds from the aforementioned GlaxoSmithKline deal to acquire Avexis for $218 per share or $8.7 billion in total, gaining the lead compound AVXS-101 used to treat spinal muscular atrophy. In August 2018, Novartis signed a deal with Laekna-a Shanghai-based pharmaceutical company for its two clinical-stage cancer drugs. Novartis gave Laekna the exclusive international rights for the drugs that are oral pan-Akt kinase inhibitors namely; afuresertib (ASB138) and uprosertib (UPB795). In mid-October, the company announced it would acquire Endocyte Inc for $2.1 billion ($24 per share) merging it with a newly created subsidiary. Endocyte will bolster Novartis' offering in its radiopharmaceuticals business, with Endocyte's first in class candidate ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 being targeted against metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In late December the company announced it would acquire France-based contract manufacturer, CellforCure from LFB, boosting its capacity to produce cell and gene therapies.

On 9 April 2019, Novartis announced that it had completed the spin-off of Alcon as a separate commercial entity. Alcon was listed on the SIX exchange in Switzerland and NYSE exchange in the U.S. Novartis announced during late 2019 a five-year artificial intelligence "alliance" with Microsoft. The companies aim to create applications for "Microsoft's AI capabilities", in turn improving the other's drug development processes. Microsoft seeks to "test AI products it is already working on in 'real-life' situations". The deal will pursue solutions for "organizing and using" data generated from Novartis' laboratory experiments, clinical trials, and manufacturing plants. It will also look at improving manufacturing of Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cells). Finally, the deal "will also apply AI to generative chemistry to enhance drug design". In November 2019, Sandoz announced it would acquire the Japanese business of Aspen Global inc for €300 million (around $330 million), boosting the business's presence in Asia. In late November 2019, the business announced it would acquire The Medicines Company for US$9.7 billion ($85 per share) in order to acquire amongst other assets, the cholesterol lowering therapy; inclisiran.

In April 2020, the company announced it would acquire Amblyotech.

In September 2020, BioNTech has leased a large production facility from Novartis to follow all advance demands for its coronavirus vaccine in Europe and sell it to China.

In July 2020, Novartis agreed to pay $678 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by paying physicians to induce them to prescribe certain of the company's drugs.

In October Novartis announced it would acquire Vedere Bio for $280 million boosting the businesses cell and gene therapy offerings.

In October 2020, as part of a joint venture to develop therapeutic drugs to combat COVID-19, Novartis bought 6% of all shares outstanding in Swiss DARPin research company Molecular Partners AG at CHF 23 per share.

In December 2020, Novartis announced it would acquire Cadent Therapeutics for up to $770 million, gaining full rights to CAD-9303 (a NMDAr positive allosteric modulator), MIJ-821 (a NMDAr negative allosteric modulator) and CAD-1883 a clinical-stage SK channel positive allosteric modulator.

In September 2021, the company announced it would acquire gene-therapy business, Arctos Medical, broadening its optogenetics range. In December, Novartis announced it would purchase Gyroscope Therapeutics from health care investment company, Syncona Ltd, for up to $1.5 billion.

In February 2022, New York City-based biotechnology company Cambrian Biopharma announced it had licensed rights to mTOR inhibitor programs from Novartis. As part of the deal, Cambrian was setting up a subsidiary called Tornado Therapeutics.

In August 2022, the company announced its plan to spin off Sandoz generic drugs unit to form a publicly traded business as part of a restructuring. With the unit having generated US$9.69 billion in 2021, the spin-off would create the biggest generic drugs company in Europe by sales.

In June 2023, Novartis announced it would acquire Chinook Therapeutics and its drug pipeline for up to $3.5 billion.

In July 2023, Novartis acquired DTx Pharma, a developer of technology for delivering RNA-based therapies, upfront for $500 million and an additional $500 million subject to reaching certain targets. Also in June, Novartis announced it would it would sell Xiidra to Bausch & Lomb for $1.75 billion and receive additional $750 million linked to future sales for Xiidra as well as two pipeline assets.

In September 2023, Novartis announced that the spin-off had been approved by its shareholders and that it would be completed by the next month, resulting in Novartis shareholders receiving one Sandoz share for every five Novartis shares. Sandoz will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with a market capitalization between $18 billion and $25bn.

On 4 October 2023, Novartis completed the spin-off of Sandoz as a stand-alone company.

In November 2023, Legend Biotech and Novartis signed an out-license deal to develop and manufacture Legend's chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) therapies, that go after delta-like ligand protein 3 (DLL3) including large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma candidate LB2102 for $100 million upfront, and Legend Biotech will be eligible to receive up to $1.01 billion in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and tiered royalties.

In December 2023, Novartis sold its 15 ophthalmology drugs to JB Chemicals for ₹1,089 crore ($116 million).

In 2023, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s Madrid Yearly Review ranked Novartis's number of marks applications filled under the Madrid System as 4th in the world, with 110 trademarks applications submitted during 2023.

In February 2024, Novartis announced it would acquire the German biotech firm MorphoSys AG for €2.7bn. Germany's antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, approved the takeover in March 2024.

In May 2024, Novartis announced it would acquire Mariana Oncology for $1 billion upfront and up to $750 million more if certain milestones were met.

In July 2024, Novartis entered into a strategic collaboration with Dren Bio to develop therapeutic bispecific antibodies for cancer, with the deal worth up to $3 billion.

In November 2024, Novartis and Ratio Therapeutics entered into a worldwide licence and collaboration agreement worth $745m to advance a somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2)-targeting radiotherapeutic candidate for cancer.

In February 2025, Novartis announced the acquisition of Anthos Therapeutics for $925m.

In April 2025, Novartis announced plans to spend $23 billion to build and expand 10 facilities in the USA.

In April 2025, Novartis agreed to buy Regulus Therapeutics Inc. in a deal that could be valued at up to $1.7 billion.

In October 2025, Novartis acquired biopharmaceutical firm Avidity Biosciences in a deal valued at US$ 12 billion.

Acquisition history

Novartis acquisitions

• Novartis AG
  • Novartis (Merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, 1996)
    • Ciba-Geigy
      • J. R. Geigy Ltd (Merged 1971)
      • CIBA (Merged 1971)
    • Sandoz
      • Kern and Sandoz Chemistry Firm (Founded 1886)
      • Wander AG (Acq 1967)
      • Lek d.d. (Slovenia) (Acq 2002)
      • Aspen Global inc (Japanese business) (Acq 2019)
  • Hexal (Acq 2005)
  • Eon Labs (Acq 2005)
  • Chiron Corporation (Acq 2006)
    • Matrix Pharmaceuticals Inc (Acq 2002)
    • PowderJect (Acq 2003)
    • PathoGenesis (Acq 2001)
    • Cetus Corporation
      • Cetus Oncology
      • Biocine Company
      • Chiron Diagnostics
      • Chiron Intraoptics
      • Chiron Technologies 
    • Adatomed GmbH
  • Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (Acq 2009)
  • Alcon (Founded 1945, Acq 2010)
    • Texas Pharmacal Company (Acq 1979)
  • Genoptix (Acq 2011)
  • Fougera Pharmaceuticals (Acq 2012)
  • CoStim Pharmaceuticals (Acq 2014)
  • GlaxoSmithKline (Cancer drug division) (Acq 2014)
  • Spinifex Pharmaceuticals (Acq 2015)
  • Admune Therapeutic (Acq 2015)
  • Selexys Pharmaceuticals (Acq 2016)
  • Ziarco Group Limited (Acq 2016)
  • Advanced Accelerator Applications (Acq 2018)
  • AveXis (Acq 2018)
  • Endocyte (Acq 2018)
  • CellforCure (Acq 2018)
  • The Medicines Company (Acq 2019)
  • Amblyotech (Acq 2020)
  • Vedere Bio (Acq 2020)
  • Cadent Therapeutics (Acq 2020)
    • Luc Therapeutics (Merged 2017)
    • Ataxion Therapeutics (Merged 2017)
  • Arctos Medical (Acq 2021)
  • Gyroscope Therapeutics (Acq 2021)
  • DTx Pharma, Inc. (Acq 2023)
  • Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (Acq 2023)
  • MorphoSys (Acq 2024)
  • Mariana Oncology (Acq 2024)
  • Anthos Therapeutics (Acq 2025)
  • Regulus (Acq 2025)
  • Avidity Biosciences, Inc. (Acq 2025)

Corporate structure

Novartis AG is a Swiss company that owns many other companies around the world. In the United States, it works through a company called Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, based in New Jersey.

The company has two main parts: one for new medicines and another for generic medicines. In 2019, the eye-care part called Alcon became its own company. In 2023, Novartis finished separating its generic medicines part, Sandoz.

The new medicines part has two groups: one for international markets and one for the United States. Novartis works through many smaller companies that help with holding money, selling products, making medicines, and researching new treatments.

Novartis used to own a part of another company called Roche, but it no longer controls it. It also has important agreements with Genentech, a company that belongs to Roche, for medicines like Lucentis and Xolair.

In 2014, Novartis opened a center in Hyderabad, India, to help with research and development, medical writing, and other tasks for its different medicine groups.

Place in its market segments

Novartis is the world's largest company in life sciences and agribusiness markets. It was also the second-largest pharmaceutical company by value in 2019.

• Alcon: When Novartis bought Alcon, it had yearly sales of $6.5 billion. In April 2019, Novartis separated Alcon to operate on its own.
• Sandoz: Since 2013, Sandoz has been known as the world's second-largest company for generic medicines. Sandoz is a leader in biosimilars, with the first approvals in Europe. In 2018, Sandoz had $9.9 billion in net sales. In August 2022, Novartis planned to separate Sandoz by late 2023.
• Vaccines and Diagnostics Division: In 2013, Novartis thought about selling its vaccines and diagnostics part. This sale finished in late 2015, and the division joined CSL's BioCSL operation, trading as Seqirus. In 2018, Novartis sold its consumer health vaccines to GlaxoSmithKline for $13 billion.
• Consumer: Novartis is not a top company in over-the-counter medicines or animal health. Its well-known brands are Excedrin and Theraflu, but sales were slow due to issues at a main U.S. factory.

In 2018, Novartis ranked second on the Access to Medicine Index, which checks how well companies make their products available to people in poor countries.

Finance

As of January 31, 2025, Novartis shares were worth over $104.72 each, and the company's total value was $210.39 billion.

Pricing

Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan)

In 2023, a group called the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review noted that Entresto was one of five expensive drugs that had big price increases without new proof that the drug got better. The cost of Entresto went up by 7%, which added $72 million in costs for U.S. health payers.

Research

The company has a big research center called "Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)" in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. This center has two special parts that work on diseases in places where many people get sick. One part focuses on diseases like tuberculosis, dengue, and malaria. The other part works on diseases like typhoid fever and shigella.

Novartis also works with other companies and schools on research projects. For example, it is part of a project called InnoMed PredTox that looks at ways to keep patients safe before clinical trials. The company is also joining projects through the Innovative Medicines Initiative of EFPIA and the European Commission.

Novartis is teaming up with Science 37 to let patients have video visits instead of traveling to clinics. Over the next three years, it plans ten clinical trials using mobile technology to help patients avoid long trips to hospitals.

Products

Pharmaceuticals (66 in total as of 28 April 2023)

Consumer health

• Benefiber
• Bialcol Alcohol
• Buckley's cold and cough formula
• Bufferin
• ChestEze
• Comtrex cold and cough
• Denavir/Vectavir
• Desenex
• Doan's pain relief
• Ex-Lax
• Excedrin
• Fenistil
• Gas-X
• Habitrol
• Keri skin care
• Lamisil foot care
• Lipactin herpes symptomatic treatment
• Maalox
• Nicotinell
• No-doz
• Quinvaxem (Pentavalent vaccine)
• Otrivine
• Prevacid 24HR
• Savlon
• Tavist
• Theraflu
• Vagistat
• Tixylix
• Voltaren

In January 2009, the United States Department of Health and Human Services gave Novartis $486 million to build the first US plant for making cell-based influenza vaccine in Holly Springs, North Carolina. This plant aims to make 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine within six months if there is a flu pandemic.

In April 2014, Novartis sold its consumer health products for $3.5 billion to form a new joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline, called GSK Consumer Healthcare, where Novartis kept a 36.5% share. In March 2018, GSK bought Novartis' share for $13 billion.

Animal health

Pet care

• Interceptor (Milbemycin oxime), oral worm control product
• Sentinel Flavor Tabs (Milbemycin oxime, Lufenuron), oral flea control product
• Deramaxx (Deracoxib), oral treatment for pain and swelling from joint problems in dogs
• Capstar (Nitenpyram), oral tablet for flea control
• Milbemax (Milbemycin oxime, Praziquantel), oral worm treatment
• Program (Lufenuron), oral tablet for flea control

Livestock

• Acatalk Duostar (Fluazuron, Ivermectin), tick control for cattle
• CLiK (Dicyclanil), fly control for sheep
• Denagard (Tiamulin), antibiotic for a pig disease linked to Brachyspira
• Fasinex (Triclabendazole), oral medicine for cattle to treat and prevent liver fluke
• ViraShield, For use in healthy cattle, including pregnant cows, to help prevent diseases from certain viruses

Bioprotection (insect and rodent control)

• Actara (Thiamethoxam)
• Atrazine (Atrazine)
• Larvadex (Cyromazine)
• Neporex (Cyromazine)
• Oxyfly (Lambda-cyhalothrin)
• Virusnip (Potassium monopersulfate)

Controversies and criticism

Pakistan

Novartis is facing a lawsuit in Pakistan for not paying commissions. If interest is added, the amount owed could exceed ten billion dollars by 2025.

Challenge to India's patent laws

Novartis fought for many years to patent a drug called Gleevec in India. The case went to India's highest court, which decided against Novartis. The court said Novartis did not show that their version of the drug was better than the existing one, so the patent was not allowed.

Sexual discrimination

In 2010, a court found that Novartis treated female employees unfairly regarding pay and promotions because they were pregnant. The company later agreed to a large settlement with these employees.

Marketing violations

In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration told Novartis to stop making false claims about one of its medicines. Later, Novartis paid a large fine for illegal marketing practices and paying doctors to prescribe its drugs.

Avastin

Novartis tried to stop hospitals in the UK from using a cheaper drug instead of its more expensive one. After offering discounts, the hospitals agreed to stop using the cheaper option, and Novartis dropped its lawsuit.

Valsartan

In 2013, it was found that research showing benefits of a heart drug called Valsartan was not true. Novartis was accused of misleading people with this false information.

Corruption

In 2018, Novartis was investigated for bribing officials in Greece. The company paid large fines to US authorities to settle these claims.

Michael Cohen

Novartis paid a consulting firm linked to Michael Cohen, who worked with then-President Donald Trump. Novartis wanted help with drug pricing and regulation.

AveXis data integrity

In 2019, Novartis admitted that some test results used to approve a new medicine were wrong. This happened before the medicine was approved, and the company faced scrutiny from authorities.

False Claims Act Violations

In 2020, Novartis paid a large fine for allegedly paying doctors to prescribe its medicines and for other improper payments that broke federal rules.

Philanthropy

Fight against leprosy

Novartis has worked for many years to help end a disease called leprosy. Since the year 2000, the company has given free medicine to countries where this disease is common, to help make sure people get the care they need.