Novartis:Swiss Novartis Pharmaceuticals (Novartis AG) is a global leader in the pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare industries. Novartis was founded in 1996 through the merger of two Basel-based chemical and pharmaceutical companies, Vapor-Gage and Sandoz. 2004 saw total sales of US$28.2 billion, net profits of US$5.8 billion and an investment of approximately US$4.2 billion in research and development. Novartis is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and has operations in more than 140 countries and regions worldwide, employing approximately 81,400 people. 2004 Business Week ranked Novartis as the number one company in Switzerland by market capitalization, 21st in the world, and 3rd in the world's pharmaceutical industry; Novartis is also one of the world's most innovative healthcare companies.

The company's name, Novartis, is derived from the Latin novae artes, meaning "new technology". The company's Chinese name, Novartis, is derived from the Latin novae artes, meaning "new technology.

From 2000 to 2004, Novartis had 13 new drugs approved by the U.S. FDA, ranking first in the global pharmaceutical industry, while the next closest company had only nine approved new drugs. Novartis is one of the world's most innovative pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.

Novartis' core businesses are focused on three main areas: healthcare, agriculture and nutrition.

The Health Care Division's global sales of CHF 18,742 million in 1997 quickly placed Novartis' pharmaceutical business among the top in the world. The merger allowed Novartis to enter the market faster, gain more market share, and expand its product offerings more broadly, while also allowing the two companies to share marketing tools and thereby control costs.

In terms of marketing and development, Novartis is an international leader in seven therapeutic areas: immunology/infectious diseases, central nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine and metabolic diseases, oncology, skin diseases and asthma. This division invested CHF 2.9 billion in research and development in 1997, giving the company unprecedented potential for product innovation and a unique global research network in biotechnology. Novartis currently has 65 projects in the research and development phase, many of which are already in clinical trials.

The Agriculture Division comprises three divisions: Crop Protection, Animal Health and Seeds. 1997 sales of the Agriculture Division amounted to CHF 8,327 million. Of these, Crop Protection is the world's leading division, Seeds ranks second in the world, and Animal Health ranks fifth in the world. The Crop Protection Division is the world leader in weed control and crop disease control.

The former includes weed control for corn, soybeans and cereal crops, and the latter includes pest control and seed optimization for cereal crops, horticulture, viticulture and fruit. The Crop Protection Division has gained significant market coverage and is the world's largest investor in research and development. The Animal Health Division provides products and pharmaceuticals for the control of parasitic diseases in agricultural livestock and domestic animals.

The Seed Division's operations include the production of seeds for a variety of vegetables, crops and flowers, and the breeding of the first generation of improved genetic corn. Research efforts are focused on increasing seed resistance to pests and diseases by altering the genes involved, developing environmentally friendly herbicides, and developing grain, soybean and vegetable seeds with high tolerance.

The Nutritional Products Division, which includes infant and young children's food, health food and medical nutrition and ancillary products, generated sales of CHF 4,111 million for the year 1997. Its main task is to provide patients and a growing number of people who are concerned about personal health with highly nutritious products for the prevention of disease and the improvement of mental and physical strength. Novartis ranks second in the world in medical nutrition, and its entire business is growing rapidly, especially in Asia.