Novartis International AG

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Novartis is a publicly-traded Swiss multi-national pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland. It is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The company operates through 3 divisions:

  • 67.2%: Pharmaceutical products: cardiovascular, respiratory, and dermatological diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, cancers, central nervous system disorders, hormone imbalances, etc.
  • 20.5%: Sandoz Generic drugs
  • 12.3%: Alcon Eye care products: eye drops and eye ointments, lens care products and ophthalmic surgery products.

Brands

ToDo: AllBrands

Affiliations

Novartis is a member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Controversies

Many. See Novartis § Controversies and criticismWikipedia-W.svg.

Company

Shareholders

Total float: 83.9%
Source: MarketScreener.svg, Mar.2020

Timelines

ToDo: Investors, Brands, History, Our company
  • Apr.2014: Novartis AG acquires GlaxoSmithKline plc — the merger between pharmaceutical companies is awaiting regulatory approval.
Novartis
ToDo: link
  • Nov.2019: The Medicines Company: Novartis annnounced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the biopharmaceutical company. The acquisition will add a potentially first-in-class siRNA inhibitor targeting PCSK9, inclisiran, to Novartis’ pipeline.ref
  • Nov.2019: Aspen Japan: Novartis Sandoz agreed to acquire Aspen Global’s Japanese business. The acquisition will allow Sandoz to expand its operations in the 3rd-largest worldwide generics marketplace. The acquired business, comprised of off-patent medicines with a focus on anesthetics and speciality brands, complements Sandoz’s portfolio and pipeline of hospital generic and biosimilar products.ref
  • Sept.2018: Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc agreed to acquire selected portions of Novartis Sandoz's USA portfolio of dermatology business and generic US oral solids portfolio.ref,ref
  • ?date?: Novartis also sold its stake in consumer healthcare joint venture to GlaxoSmithKline.
  • Apr.2018:
    AveXis.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    AveXis Inc, a biotechnology company that develops treatments for rare neurological genetic disorders, was acquired.ref,ref In Nov.2019, Avexis's first gene therapy drug onasemnogene abeparvovec received regulatory approval in the USA,ref with a price tag of $2.125m per injection, making it the most expensive drug in the world.ref Shortly after the approval, the US Food and Drug Administration accused the company of data manipulation in their regulatory submission.ref Website
  • Nov.2009: Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Company Ltd: Novartis agreed the acquisition of an 85% stake in the privately-owned Chinese vaccines company as part of a strategic initiative to build a vaccines industry leader in China, and to expand the group's limited presence in this fast-growing market segment. The proposed acquisition required govt and regulatory approvals in China.ref
  • Apr.2008:
    Alcon-Laboratories.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    Alcon Laboratories Inc: Novartis announced an agreement to purchase Nestle's 77% stake in Alcon. A first 24.8% stake was bought in Jul.2008, with the remaining 52% bought in Aug.2010.ref,ref,ref
  • Apr.2007:
    Gerber-Products-Company.svgDeals-Arrow-Right.svg
    Gerber Products Company was sold to Nestlé.ref,ref
  • Apr.2006: Chiron Corporation, a California-based multinational biotechnology firm, was acquired. Chiron BioPharmaceuticals was integrated into Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Chiron Vaccines and Chiron Blood Testing were formed into a new Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics division.ref
  • 2006: Ciba Textile Dyes and Chemical Auxiliaries businesses were sold to the Huntsman Corporation.
  • Feb.2005: Hexal AG and its USA subsidiary Eon Labs were acquired from the Strüngmann family, and hived up into the Sandoz division. Hexal was a privately-owned German company developing, producing and marketing generic medications and innovative pharmaceutical preparations; Eon Labs engaged in generic medicines exclusively in the USA.ref,ref
  • 2003:
    Novartis-Sandoz-2003.svg
    Novartis Sandoz: Novartis organised all of its generic drugs businesses into one division, and merged some of its subsidiaries into one company, reusing the predecessor brand name of Sandoz.ref Website
  • 2001:
    Hilleshog-1989.svgDeals-Arrow-Right.svg
    Hilleshög, the Swedish seeds company, was sold to Syngenta.ref,ref
  • Jun.2000:
    New-Farm-Crops.svgDeals-Arrow-Right.svg
    New Farm Crops Ltd, originally acquired by Ciba-Geigy in May.1992, was sold to Syngenta Crop Protection AG.AR-Dec.2000
  • 2000: Syngenta: Novartis and AstraZeneca combined their Agrobusinesses (Novartis Agribusiness and Zeneca Agrochemicals) to create a new company,ref which began trading on the New York Stock Market in Nov.2000.
  • 1999: Wasabröd was sold to Italian food producer Barilla Alimentare SpA. Website.us, Website.se
  • 1998: the company entered into a biotechnology licensing agreement with the University of California at Berkeley Department of Plant and Microbial Biology.ref Critics were concerned that the agreement would diminish academic objectivity, or lead to the commercialisation of genetically modified plants.ref The agreement expired in 2003.ref
  • Mar.1997: Ciba Specialty Chemicals: Novartis spun out its non-pharmaceuticals businesses; part of the 1996 merger agreement was that Ciba-Geigy's industrial chemicals business would be spun off as a separate business. Accordingly, Ciba's specialty chemicals divisions - Additives, Consumer Care, Pigments, Performance Polymers and Textile Dyes - were spun-off as a new, independent, enterprise, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange. ref,ref [Website.arch]
  • Dec.1996: Novartis: Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy merged, with their pharmaceutical and agrochemical divisions forming Novartis.
    BASF-Ciba-Speciality-Chemicals.svgDeals-Arrow-Right.svg
    Ciba Specialty Chemicals plc: part of the merger agreement was that Ciba-Geigy's industrial chemicals business would be spun off, which led to the formation of the new company.ref,ref,ref
    Sandoz's Master Builders Technologies, a producer of chemicals for the construction industry, was sold off to SKW Trostberg AG,ref a subsidiary of the German energy company VIAG AG.ref

Sandoz's North American corn herbicide business was sold off to German chemical maker BASF.ref

Sandoz AG

Sandoz Pharmaceuticals was a Swiss pharmaceutical company, best known for developing drugs such as Sandimmune for organ transplantation, the antipsychotic Clozaril, Mellaril and Serentil tablets for treating psychiatric disorders, and Cafergot tablets and Torecan suppositories for treating migraine headaches.

Sandoz is now a Novartis division, specialising in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, and sells products in 100+ countries. Sandoz develops, manufactures and markets finished dosage form medicines, as well as intermediary products including active pharmaceutical ingredients. Sandoz is the global market leader in biosimilars, is also the global market leader in generic antibiotics.


  • Jan.2020: Aspen Global Incorporated, a Japanese business consisting of off-patent branded medicines with a focus on anesthetics and specialty brands, was closed.ref
  • 2005: Hexal and Eon Labs, two major generic companies, were acquired to position Sandoz as an industry leader.ref
  • Aug.2004:
    Sabex-2002.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    Sabex Holdings Ltd, a Boucherville, Canada developer, manufacturer and distributor of generic small volume injectables, ophthalmics, suppositories, and other pharmaceutical products, was purchased from private equity firm RoundTable Healthcare Partners LP.[1] The deal gave Sandoz an operational presence in Canada, the 6th largest generics market worldwide.[2] Sabex Inc was formed in 1980; in Apr.2002, RoundTable acquired a majority stake (80%).[3] sabex.international
  • Dec.1996:
    Novartis-2017.svg
    Novartis: Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy merged into one global life sciences group.
  • 1995: Clariant AG: Sandoz spun off its specialty chemicals business. In 1997, Clariant merged with the specialty chemicals business that was spun off from Hoechst AG in Germany. HuntsmanClariant, Clariant agreed a merger deal with Huntsman Corporation,ref which was terminated in Oct.2017.ref
  • Aug.1994:
    Gerber-Products-Company.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    Gerber Products Company was acquired from its founders, the Fremont Canning Company.ref Website.arch Pics, GMOs
  • 1989:
    Hilleshog-1989.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    Hilleshög, a Swedish seeds company, was acquired from Volvo's food products subsidiary, Provendor. ref,Website.arch
  • Nov.1986: Chemical spill: a fire broke out in a production plant storage room, which led to a large amount of pesticide being released into the upper Rhine river, killing many fish and other aquatic life.
  • 1982: Wasa, a Swedish crispbread producer (Wasabröd), was acquired.
  • 1980: Zaadunie Group, a Dutch seed company, was acquired. Zaadunie was formed in 1963, and had 18 subsidiaries, amongst which were Sluis & Groot and its marketing company, Pannevis.ref
  • 1976: Northrup, King and Company, a UK cereal plant breeder, was acquired, after having fallen on hard times the previous year. Sandoz renamed it as "Northrup King", and invested heavily in research. In 1997, Northrup King became a subsidiary of Syngenta, where it became known as the NK brand. Website.arch, Website
  • 1975: American Rogers Seeds Company was acquired, enabling Sandoz to enter the seeds market.
  • 1972: Delmark was acquired.
  • 1967: Wander AG: Sandoz merged with Wander and diversified into the dietetics business (Ovaltine, Isostar).
  • 1963: Biochemie GmbH, a penicillin manufacturer in Austria, was acquired. Biochemie researchers had discovered acid-resistant penicillin in 1951, which meant that penicillin could be administered orally for the first time.
  • 1943: LSD: the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide were discovered by Arthur Stoll and Albert Hofmann.ref,ref Sandoz began clinical trials and marketed the substance under the name Delysid as a psychiatric drug between 1947-1965; it was thought useful for treating a wide variety of mental ailments, ranging from alcoholism to sexual deviancy. Sandoz withdrew the drug from the market in 1965.
  • 1939: Agribusiness: agricultural chemicals production began. The first product developed was the pesticide Copper Sandoz, introduced in 1943.
  • 1939: Sandoz Ltd: Chemische Fabrik vormals Sandoz changed its name.
  • 1929: Chemicals Department: Sandoz began producing chemicals for textiles, paper, and leather.
  • 1929: Calcium-Sandoz was brought to market, laying the foundation for modern calcium therapy.
  • 1921: Gynergen was introduced to treat migraine and headaches. Arthur Stoll had isolated ergotamine from corn-fungus ergot in 1918.
  • 1917: Pharmaceutical Department was formed, formalising the pharmaceutical research begun in 1917 under Arthur Stoll.ref
  • 1899: Saccharin: the company began producing the sugar substitute.
  • 1895: Antipyrine: the company began producing the fever-controlling agent.
  • 1895: Chemische Fabrik vormals Sandoz: after Alfred Kern's death, the partnership became a joint-stock company.
  • 1886: Chemiefirma Kern & Sandoz was founded by Dr Alfred Kern and Edouard Sandoz in Basel, Switzerland. The company initially focused on the production of dyes.
Additional Sources: The Sandoz Brand. Novartis Sandoz. Accessed Dec.08.2019. ♦ The Sandoz Brand, 1886-present. Sandoz International. Accessed Dec.08.2019.
Ciba-Geigy AG
  • Mar.1996: Novartis: Ciba and Sandoz announced plans to merge into one global life sciences group.ref The speciality additives business, which made additives for the plastics, coating and paper industries, was spun-out as "Ciba".
  • Jan.1993:
    Ciba-Geigy-1993.svg
    Ciba: Ciba-Geigy changed its name by dropping the "-Geigy", and adopted a new logo.ref
  • Nov.1992: Fisons plc's North American consumer products business was acquired, adding the Desenex and Cruex antifungals, Allerest allergy relief, Myoflex topical analgesic brands and other skin care products, including Caldecort, to Ciba Consumer Pharmaceuticals' OTC offerings. UK-based Fisons wanted to divest its consumer health and horticulture businesses to concentrate on its core pharmaceuticals and scientific equipment operations. In the deal, Ciba also gets Fisons' Americaine hemorrhoid relief products, Sinarest sinus pain relief products, Ting antifungals and the Delsym OTC cough formula. Fisons acquired the brands through a purchase of Pennwalt Chemical Corporation's prescription and OTC business in 1988.ref
  • May.1992:
    New-Farm-Crops.svgDeals-Arrow-Left.svg
    New Farm Crops Ltd, a Lincolnshire-based cereal plant breeder, was acquired by way of purchasing the remaining 60% of the company's shares which Ciba-Geigy didn't already own.AR-Jun.1992 New Farm Crops, founded in 1979, conducted the world's first field trials of GM wheat in 1994. The company has satellite breeding stations in Cambridgeshire and abroad. Website.arch
  • 1992: Ciba-Geigy agreed to pay New Jersey $62m for illegal waste dumping.ref
  • 1989: Ilford was sold to the International Paper Company. (International Paper sold Ilford to Doughty Hanson & Company in 1997; Doughty Hanson sold Ilford, renamed as "Ilford Imaging Ltd", to the Oji Paper Company in 2005.)
  • 1981: Ciba Consumer Pharmaceuticals was formed around the Acutrim appetite suppressant. Acquisitions added to the offerings, including the Doan's backache relief (1987); the fibre laxative Fiberall (1988); and Eucalyptamint topical analgesic (late 1989). Other Ciba Consumer OTC brands included Dulcolax laxative, Nostril and Nostrilla nasal decongestant, Nupercainal hemorrhoid ointment, Privine and Otrivine nasal spray and drops, Q-vel muscle relaxant, Sunkist and Slow Fe vitamins. Ciba Consumer also marketed Transderm Scop prescription scopolamine patches.
  • 1980: Ciba Vision was formed by Ciba-Geigy to enter the contact lens market.ref
  • 1971: Ciba‑Geigy AG: CIBA and Geigy merged.
ToDo: link, link, link, link, link
CIBA
  • 1970: Ciba‑Geigy AG: CIBA and JR Geigy merged.
  • 1969: Ciba acquired ICI's shareholding in Ilford, becoming sole owner. Introduction of Cibrachrome colour reversal printing paper and chemistry, a product developed by Ciba Geigy Photochemie of Switzerland. Over the following years it was further developed by Ciba and Ilford into a world renowned 'industry standard' product for high permanence richly saturated prints from transparencies.
  • 1966: Ilford Ltd: Ciba and ICI acquired all of Ilford's outstanding shares. ICI had acquired a 32% interest in 1958.
  • 1962: Lumière was acquired; the company was renamed as "Ilford France" in 1982.
  • 1954: Clayton Dyestuffs Company Ltd: Clayton Aniline Company's sales division was hived off; in 1958 it became "CIBA Clayton Ltd".
  • 1948: Aero Research Ltd: Ciba acquired a majority interest in the company, which made engineering and structural epoxy, acrylic, and polyurethane adhesives (Araldite, Aerolite 306); the remainder of the shares were acquired in 1960, at which point the company was renamed as "Ciba (ARL)".
  • 1945: CIBA: the acronym was adopted as the company's name.
  • 1928: Ciba began producing textile auxiliaries, following in the footsteps of J R Geigy Ltd.
  • 1918: Sandoz and Geigy were given shares in the Clayton Aniline Company.
  • 1911: Clayton Aniline Company of Manchester was acquired.
  • 1900: Ciba produced its first pharmaceutical substances: Vioform, an antiseptic, and Salen, an antirheumatic agent.ref
  • 1884: Gesellschaft für Chemische Industrie Basel: Bindschedler and Busch was transformed into a joint-stock company, and renamed.
  • 1873: Bindschedler & Busch: Clavel sold his dye factory to Bindschedler and Busch, a newly-founded company.
  • 1859: Alexander Clavel took up the production of fuchsine (a magenta dye) in his silk-dyeing factory in Basel.
Additional Sources: Grace's Guide
Geigy
Novartis-Geigy-1955.svg
  • 1971: Ciba‑Geigy AG: CIBA and Geigy merged.
  • 1939: Geigy chemist Paul Hermann Müller discovered that DDTWikipedia-W.svg was effective against malaria-bearing insects.
  • 1925: J R Geigy Ltd began producing textile auxiliaries.
  • 1914: J R Geigy AG: the company's name was changed.
  • 1901: Geigy was formed as a public limited company.
  • 1859: Synthetic fuchsine production began.
  • 1857: Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian and Johann Muller-Pack acquired a site in Basel, where they built a dye wood mill and a dye extraction plant.
  • 1758: Johann Rudolf Geigy-Gemuseus began trading in "materials, chemicals, dyes and drugs of all kinds" in Basel, Switzerland.ref

Logos: link, p.14, link, link

Articles

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  • ^ Swiss company buys generic drug maker Sabex for $763 million. CBC Radio-Canada, Jun.07.2004.
  • ^ Sandoz empire builds with Sabex buy. Outsourcing Pharma, Jun.06.2004.
  • ^ RoundTable Healthcare Partners acquires Sabex Inc. RoundTable Heralthcare Partners LP, Apr.22.2002. Original archived on Nov.05.2020.