Novartis AG

Novartis AG is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It stands as one of the largest pharmaceutical companies globally and ranked eighth by revenue in 2024.

The company manufactures various medications, including clozapine, diclofenac, carbamazepine, valsartan, imatinib mesylate, cyclosporine, letrozole, methylphenidate, terbinafine, deferasirox, among others.

Founded in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, it was regarded as the largest corporate merger at that time. The pharmaceutical and agrochemical divisions from both companies combined to create Novartis as an independent entity. The name "Novartis" is derived from the Latin words translating to "new arts."

Following the merger, several businesses from Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz were sold or spun off as independent entities, like Ciba Specialty Chemicals. Although the Sandoz brand vanished for three years, it was reintroduced in 2003 when Novartis merged its generic drug divisions into a single subsidiary named Sandoz. In 2000, Novartis divested its agrochemical and genetically modified crops sector by spinning out Syngenta in collaboration with AstraZeneca, which also shed its agrochemical division. The company has since pursued multiple acquisitions to bolster its core businesses.

Novartis is a full member of various notable organizations, including the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Presently, Novartis ranks as the third most valuable pharmaceutical company in Europe, following Novo Nordisk and Roche.