| |
|
| 2004 |
|
| December |
The Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development
celebrates its 25th anniversary with a symposium on the right to
health.
Enablex, a novel treatment for overactive bladder, is approved in
the US, while exclusive marketing rights for this medicine, which
is known as Emselex in Europe, are sold to Bayer for the German market. |
|
| November |
Sandoz is named as a Division, joining Pharmaceuticals
and Consumer Health, as of January 1, 2005. |
|
| October |
Emselex gains EU approval for the treatment
of overactive bladder in all 25 EU member states as well as Norway
and Iceland.
The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) and the Broad
Institute of MIT and Harvard announce a joint project to decipher
the genetic causes of type 2 diabetes and make their findings freely
available to scientists worldwide on the Web. |
|
| September |
Femara gains approval in Switzerland as the
only post-tamoxifen treatment for early breast cancer, marking the
first approval by health authorities for this breast cancer therapy
in the extended adjuvant setting. Approvals are also gained in the
United Kingdom and the US. |
|
| August |
Zelnorm receives US approval for the additional
indication of chronic constipation, becoming the first prescription
therapy for this disorder. |
|
| July |
The Novartis Institute for Tropical Disease
opens in Singapore with particular focus on biomedical research for
dengue fever and drugresistant tuberculosis.
Novartis submits Xolair for EU approval for the treatment of allergic
asthma.
Novartis submits Focalin XR extended release capsules for US approval
for the treatment of children and adults with attention deficit /
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). |
|
| June |
Novartis announces plans to acquire two generics
companies: the Danish company Durasacan A/S from AstraZeneca plc
and Sabex Holdings Ltd of Canada. |
|
| May |
Visudyne, the leading treatment for certain
forms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), is launched in Japan. |
|
| April |
Sandostatin LAR receives Japanese approval
for treating acromegaly and symptoms of gastrointestinal hormone
secreting tumors.
Novartis submits an EU application for the use of zoledronic acid
in Paget’s disease, marking the first filing for its use in
metabolic bone disease. A US submission for this indication is made
in September. |
|
| February |
Novartis Medical Nutrition completes the
acquisition of the global adult nutrition business of Mead Johnson
from Bristol-Myers Squibb, which was announced in December 2003.
myfortic completes European Union Mutual Recognition Procedure and
receives approval for prevention of organ rejection after kidney transplantation.
US approval is granted in March. |
|
| January |
A new CHF 3 billion share repurchase program
is announced to start following completion of a program initiated
in 2002. Shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) approved
the program in February 2004. |
| |
|
| 2003 |
|
| 19 December |
Novartis makes drug donation to the Global TB Drug Facility: Half a million of the world's poorest turberculosis patient to benefit from free life-saving drugs. |
|
| 16 December |
Acquisition of worldwide adult medical nutrition business of Mead Johnson & Company, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb. |
|
| 27 November |
New corporate guidelines on human rights. |
|
| 10 November |
Landmark Diovan (valsartan) mega-trial proves life-saving benefits for heart attack suffers. |
|
| 10 November |
New partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture to develp a pediatric formulation of Coartem. |
|
| 9 October |
Interim results from first study to explore post-tamoxifen use of Femara in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer: Compelling disease-free survival results.
|
|
| 23 June |
FDA approves Xolair, biotechnology breakthrough for asthma
|
|
| 13 June |
FDA approves Stalevo for treatment of Parkinson's disease
|
|
| 12 June |
EMEA updates Zometa label to include longer-term efficacy data on prevention of bone complications in advanced cancers
|
|
| 20 May |
Novartis unites its generics businesses
under one single global brand: Sandoz |
|
| 26 March |
Novartis set for strategic expansion into antiviral medicines through acquisition of 51% of Idenix, a Cambridge MA-based biotech company
|
|
| 18 March |
Novartis acquires Enablex a new incontinence treatment for a rapidly expanding population of patients, from Pfizer
|
|
| 3 January |
Glivec approved in European
Union for first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. |
| |
|
| 2002 |
|
| 21 December |
Glivec gains FDA approval
for first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia |
|
| 21 November |
Novartis successfully completes
its friendly public offer for the Slovenian generic company Lek. |
|
| 8 October |
Novartis signs an agreement to
sell its Food & Beverage business to Associated British Foods plc
(ABF). |
|
| 14 August |
FDA approves use of Diovan
in Heart Failure for patients intolerant to ACE inhibitors. |
|
| 24 July |
FDA approves Zelnorm/Zelmac
for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. |
|
| 23 May |
Novartis unveils its Campus
project: the St. Johann site in Basel is to be completely redeveloped,
under the direction of the architect Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani. |
|
| 6 May |
Novartis reorganizes its global
research network by creating the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical
Research (NIBR), headquartered in a new research center in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Mark Fishman is appointed Head of Research. |
|
| 18 April |
Novartis establishes an external
Ethics Committee to evaluate research projects involving human
stem cells. |
|
| 12 March |
Novartis is awarded the Prix Galien
in France for the second year in succession - this time for Glivec. |
| 23 February |
FDA grants clearance for the use
of Zometa in a second indication - the treatment of bone metastases. |
|
| 15 February |
Novartis and expo.02 -the Swiss
national exhibition-present the Biopolis project. |
|
| 4 February |
Novartis announces that its Consumer
Health Sector intends to divest the Health & Functional Food business. |
| |
|
| 2001 |
|
| 13 December |
FDA approves Elidel cream
for the treatment of eczema and Trileptal for use as monotherapy in
children with epilepsy. |
|
| 8 November |
Glivec receives approval
for the European market. |
|
| 2 November |
Novartis announces that the structure
of the Board of Directors is to be modernized, with the establishment
of a Corporate Governance Committee. |
|
| September |
FDA grants clearance for the use
of Foradil in the treatment of asthma. |
|
| 23 August |
FDA grants clearance for the use
of Visudyne in the treatment of eye conditions causing loss
of vision. |
|
| 21 August |
FDA grants clearance for the use
of Zometa in the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy. |
|
| 23 May |
Novartis makes the antimalarial
drug Coartem available to the WHO at cost price. |
|
| May |
Visudyne is awarded the
Prix Galien for therapeutic innovation in France, Belgium and Portugal.
|
|
| May |
FDA grants clearance for Gleevec (Glivec).
|
|
| 23 April |
In order to acquire the rights
to pitavastatin, a cholesterol-lowering compound in development, Novartis
takes over the Paris-based company Hazal Finance. |
|
| 2 April |
Novartis Generics acquires generics
manufacturer Lagap Pharmaceuticals from the company's South African
owner, Adcock Ingram. |
|
| Early April |
Starlix receives approval
for the European market |
|
| 27 February |
The Novartis Respiratory Research
Centre - the largest of its kind in the world - is opened in Horsham
(UK). |
| |
|
| 2000 |
|
| 4 December |
Novartis Generics announces it
is to acquire BASF Pharma's European generics business. |
|
| 13 November |
Novartis Seeds is merged with AstraZeneca's
' agribusiness operations to form Syngenta, the first global
group focusing exclusively on agribusiness. |
|
| November |
Novartis acquires exclusive marketing
rights for Estradot from Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Miami, Florida. |
|
| 31 August |
Novartis Pharma AG acquires the
products Famvir and Vectavir/Denavir from SmithKline
Beecham. |
|
| 10 July |
The Pharma Sector is reorganized,
with the establishment of three Business Units: Primary Care, Specialties
(Oncology, Transplantation, Ophthalmics) and Mature Products. |
|
| 11 May |
Novartis shares are traded on the
New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary Shares
(ADSs). |
| |
|
| 1996-1999 |
|
| 21 April 1999 |
Alex Krauer resigns as Chairman
of the Board of Directors and is appointed an Honorary Chairman. Daniel
Vasella becomes Chairman, while retaining his position as CEO. |
|
| 8 April 1998 |
The Novartis Research Foundation
announces the setting-up of the Novartis Institute for Functional
Genomics. |
|
| 13 May 1997 |
Novartis announces it is to acquire
the crop protection business of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse
Station, New Jersey. |
|
| 20 December 1996 |
Swiss Novartis companies are entered
in the Commercial Register. |
|
| 17 December 1996 |
The US Federal Trade Commission
approves the merger. |
|
| 24 June 1996 |
The shareholders of Ciba approve
the merger. |
|
| 17 June 1996 |
The European Union approves the
merger. |
|
| 23 April 1996 |
The shareholders of Sandoz approve
the merger. |
