Novartis

What does Novartis own?
Novartis owns a portfolio of innovative prescription medicines across oncology, immunology, cardiovascular, neuroscience, and ophthalmology. Key products include Cosentyx (inflammatory diseases), Entresto (heart failure), Kisqali (breast cancer), Kesimpta (multiple sclerosis), Leqvio (cholesterol), Zolgensma (gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy), Pluvicto (prostate cancer radioligand therapy), and Kymriah (CAR-T cell therapy). Novartis spun off its Sandoz generics division in 2023 and its Alcon eye care division in 2019, both of which are now independent publicly listed companies.

Is Novartis publicly traded?
Yes, Novartis AG is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker NOVN and on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker NVS (as American Depositary Receipts). The company has a broad institutional and retail shareholder base with no single controlling shareholder. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and Norges Bank Investment Management. The Novartis Foundation for Employee Participation also holds a significant stake.

What is Novartis's revenue?
Novartis reported FY2025 net sales of $50.3 billion, up 12% year over year (17% in constant currencies). Core operating income grew 15% (19% in constant currencies). For 2026, the company guides net sales growth of high single digits and core operating income growth of low double digits. The long-term outlook through 2030 calls for 5% net sales growth and 7% core operating income growth. Revenue is primarily generated from prescription medicine sales in more than 140 countries.

Who founded Novartis?
Novartis was formed in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, two of Switzerland's oldest pharmaceutical companies. Ciba-Geigy itself was formed through the 1970 merger of Ciba (founded 1859) and Geigy (founded 1758), both based in Basel. Sandoz was founded in 1886 in Basel. The 1996 merger, valued at approximately $63 billion, was one of the largest corporate mergers in history at the time. The name Novartis comes from the Latin "novae artes," meaning "new skills."

Where is Novartis headquartered?
Novartis AG is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Basel has been the center of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry for more than a century, and both Novartis and Roche, another major pharmaceutical company, are headquartered in the city. Novartis operates manufacturing and research facilities in Switzerland, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, India, Singapore, and Brazil, and sells products in more than 140 countries worldwide.

Who is the CEO of Novartis?
Vas Narasimhan has served as CEO of Novartis since February 2018. He is a physician by training and has emphasized data science, digital health, and a focused innovative medicines strategy during his tenure. Under his leadership, Novartis spun off Sandoz (2023) and Alcon (2019), transforming the company from a diversified healthcare conglomerate into a focused innovative medicines company. Joerg Reinhardt chairs the board of directors.

What is Novartis's market position?
Novartis is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue, with FY2025 net sales of $50.3 billion. The company competes against Roche, Pfizer, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, and Eli Lilly. Its FY2025 constant-currency sales growth of 17% outpaced many large-cap pharmaceutical peers. The company's long-term outlook of 5% net sales growth through 2030 positions it among the faster-growing companies in the large-cap pharmaceutical sector.

Novartis was formed in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, two of Switzerland's oldest and largest pharmaceutical companies. Both companies had roots in the Basel chemical and dye industry of the 19th century.

Ciba was founded in 1859 as a chemical company in Basel, initially producing dyes. The company diversified into pharmaceuticals in the early 20th century and merged with Geigy in 1970 to form Ciba-Geigy. Ciba-Geigy became one of the world's leading pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals companies.

Sandoz was founded in 1886 in Basel as a chemical company. The company became known for its pharmaceutical research, most notably the accidental discovery of LSD by chemist Albert Hofmann in 1943. Sandoz developed important pharmaceutical products including Clozaril (clozapine) for schizophrenia and Sandimmune (cyclosporine) for organ transplant rejection.

The 1996 merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz to form Novartis was one of the largest corporate mergers in history at the time, valued at approximately $63 billion. The merged company was named Novartis, from the Latin "novae artes" meaning "new skills."

Following the merger, Novartis pursued a strategy of focusing on pharmaceuticals while divesting non-core businesses. The company spun off its specialty chemicals business as Ciba Specialty Chemicals in 1997 and its agribusiness as Syngenta in 2000. These divestments established the pattern of portfolio simplification that continued under Narasimhan.

Novartis acquired Alcon Laboratories, a US eye care company, in 2010 for approximately $51 billion, making it one of the world's largest eye care companies. Alcon was subsequently spun off as an independent publicly listed company in April 2019, completing a process that began with a partial IPO in 2019.

In 2018, Novartis acquired AveXis for approximately $8.7 billion, gaining Zolgensma, a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy that became one of the most expensive drugs in history at approximately $2.1 million per treatment.

In October 2023, Novartis completed the spin-off of its Sandoz generics and biosimilars division as an independent publicly listed company on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The spin-off was the largest in European pharmaceutical history and allowed Novartis to focus entirely on innovative medicines.

For FY2025, Novartis reported net sales of $50.3 billion, up 12% year over year (17% in constant currencies), driven by Cosentyx, Entresto, Kisqali, Kesimpta, and Leqvio. Core operating income grew 15% (19% in constant currencies). The company expects this momentum to continue, guiding 2026 net sales growth of high single digits and core operating income growth of low double digits.

Novartis has committed to environmental sustainability targets, including carbon neutrality across its own operations (Scope 1 and 2) and a commitment to reduce Scope 3 emissions. The company has set science-based targets for emissions reduction and reports progress through CDP disclosures. Novartis has invested in renewable energy for its manufacturing facilities and has implemented water stewardship programs at sites in water-stressed regions.

The company publishes an annual ESG report aligned with Global Reporting Initiative standards. Novartis does not hold B Corp certification, as B Corp certification is uncommon among large pharmaceutical companies. The company's sustainability reporting is independently assured by third-party auditors.

Novartis has faced significant regulatory and legal scrutiny over the past decade. In 2019, the US FDA found that Novartis had manipulated data in the clinical trial for Zolgensma, the gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. Novartis disclosed the data manipulation after the drug had already received FDA approval. The FDA ultimately allowed Zolgensma to remain on the market but required Novartis to conduct additional studies. The controversy raised questions about the company's research integrity and the FDA's accelerated approval process.

Novartis paid a $678 million settlement to the US Department of Justice in 2020 related to kickback payments to specialty pharmacies that promoted Novartis drugs. The settlement resolved allegations that Novartis paid pharmacies to recommend its drugs to patients, violating anti-kickback statutes.

The company has faced criticism regarding the pricing of Zolgensma at approximately $2.1 million per treatment, making it one of the most expensive drugs in history. Novartis has defended the price as reflecting the drug's clinical value in treating a severe, life-threatening disease and has offered outcomes-based pricing agreements with some payers.

In 2023, Novartis faced a legal challenge in India over its attempt to patent a revised form of its cancer drug Glivec (imatinib). The Indian Supreme Court rejected the patent, setting a precedent for compulsory licensing of essential medicines in developing countries. This case remains a landmark in the global debate over pharmaceutical patent protection and access to medicines.