Novartis is a world leader in the research and development of products to protect and improve health and well-being. Novartis was created in 1996 from the merger of the Swiss companies, Ciba and Sandoz.

Our core businesses are in pharmaceuticals, consumer health, generics, eye-care, and animal health. Our name, derived from the Latin novae artes, meaning "new skills," reflects our commitment to focus on research and development to bring innovative new products to the communities we serve.

In 2003, the Group's businesses achieved sales of USD 24.9 billion and a net income of USD 5.0 billion. The Group invested approximately USD 3.8 billion in research and development (R&D). Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ about 78 500 people and operate in over 140 countries around the world.