##  [Company History](/uk-en/about/who-we-are/company-history "Company History") 

 Novartis was created in 1996 through a merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Novartis and its predecessor companies trace roots back more than 250 years, with a rich history of developing innovative products. From beginnings in the production of synthetic fabric dyes, the companies that eventually became Novartis branched out into producing chemicals and ultimately pharmaceuticals.

The history of Novartis traces the converging destinies of three companies: Geigy, a chemicals and dyes trading company founded in Basel, Switzerland in the middle of the 18th century; Ciba, which began producing dyes in 1859; and Sandoz, a chemical company founded in Basel in 1886.

These companies shared a common trait which lives on at Novartis: a passion for developing and marketing new products that contribute to human progress through advances in science and health. Building on this heritage, today Novartis focuses its innovation prowess on addressing the unmet needs of patients worldwide.



 



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- ![Oil Painting](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-1-image.jpeg.webp?itok=K5sbdhlQ "Oil Painting") View1/11
- ![Alexander Clavel Portrait](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-2-image.jpeg.webp?itok=qaVcaleZ "Alexander Clavel Portrait") View2/11
- ![Dr Alfred Kern](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-3-image.jpeg.webp?itok=eM8kdlcf "Dr Alfred Kern") View3/11
- ![Pharmaceutical Research in Ciba](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-4-image.jpeg.webp?itok=a3J7B8Sa "Pharmaceutical Research in Ciba") View4/11
- ![Pharmaceutical Department at Sandoz](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-5-image.jpeg.webp?itok=ZoU6ksLW "Pharmaceutical Department at Sandoz") View5/11
- ![Geigy President Louis von Planta and CIBA President Robert Kapelli Shake Hands](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-6-image.jpeg.webp?itok=UiNVJcqC "Geigy President Louis von Planta and CIBA President Robert Kapelli Shake Hands") View6/11
- ![Workers putting up Novartis Sign](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-7-image.jpeg.webp?itok=gAbrtXYp "Workers putting up Novartis Sign") View7/11
- ![Interior of Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-8-image.jpeg.webp?itok=hox4iaif "Interior of Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research") View8/11
- ![Aerial view of Alcon office in USA](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-9-image.jpeg.webp?itok=1dZXcB5R "Aerial view of Alcon office in USA") View9/11
- ![Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-10-image.jpeg.webp?itok=lwYZ92Mj "Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland") View10/11
- ![Young girl at eye doctor](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-11.jpeg.webp?itok=grc19MPC "Young girl at eye doctor") View11/11
 


 

    ![Oil Painting](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-1-image.jpeg.webp?itok=K5sbdhlQ "Oil Painting")

In 1758, Johann Rudolf Geigy-Gemuseus (1733-1793) founds the trading company J.R. Geigy in Basel, Switzerland to deal in "Materials, Chemicals, Dyes and Drugs of all Kinds.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Alexander Clavel Portrait](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-2-image.jpeg.webp?itok=qaVcaleZ "Alexander Clavel Portrait")

In 1859, Alexander Clavel (1805-1873) takes up the production of fuchsine, a synthetic dye, in his silk dyeing factory in Basel, Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Dr Alfred Kern](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-3-image.jpeg.webp?itok=eM8kdlcf "Dr Alfred Kern")

The chemical company Kern & Sandoz is founded in Basel, Switzerland in 1886 by Dr. Alfred Kern (1850-1893) and Edouard Sandoz (1853-1928). The first dyes produced are alizarin blue and auramine.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Pharmaceutical Research in Ciba](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-4-image.jpeg.webp?itok=a3J7B8Sa "Pharmaceutical Research in Ciba")

In 1900, Ciba produces its first pharmaceutical substances: Vioform, an antiseptic, and Salen, an antirheumatic agent. This image shows pharmaceutical research at Ciba in Basel, Switzerland in 1914.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Pharmaceutical Department at Sandoz](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-5-image.jpeg.webp?itok=ZoU6ksLW "Pharmaceutical Department at Sandoz")

In 1917, Professor Arthur Stoll creates a pharmaceutical department at Sandoz, and research begins.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Geigy President Louis von Planta and CIBA President Robert Kapelli Shake Hands](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-6-image.jpeg.webp?itok=UiNVJcqC "Geigy President Louis von Planta and CIBA President Robert Kapelli Shake Hands")

Geigy President Louis von Planta and CIBA President Robert Käppeli shake hands to conclude the merger of CIBA-GEIGY in 1970.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Workers putting up Novartis Sign](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-7-image.jpeg.webp?itok=gAbrtXYp "Workers putting up Novartis Sign")

In 1996, the merger of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy creates Novartis, one of the world's largest healthcare companies. This image, taken on February 3, 1997, shows the old logo being changed out at the Novartis St. Johann site in Basel.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Interior of Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-8-image.jpeg.webp?itok=hox4iaif "Interior of Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research")

Novartis unifies and strengthens its global research network in 2002 by creating the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), headquartered in the US in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Aerial view of Alcon office in USA](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-9-image.jpeg.webp?itok=1dZXcB5R "Aerial view of Alcon office in USA")

In 2010, Novartis becomes the world leader in eye care when it acquires majority ownership in Alcon, Inc., based in the US in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-10-image.jpeg.webp?itok=lwYZ92Mj "Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland")

Novartis completes a series of transactions that focus the company on three leading divisions: Pharmaceuticals, Alcon (eye care) and Sandoz (generic medicines).

 

 

 

 

 

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 ![Young girl at eye doctor](/uk-en/sites/novartis_uk/files/styles/image_gallery_full_width/public/2022-06/company-history-slideshow-11.jpeg.webp?itok=grc19MPC "Young girl at eye doctor")

On April 9th, 2019, Alcon becomes a separately traded standalone company while Novartis strengthens its focus on Innovative Medicines and generic medicines (Sandoz).

 

 

 

 

 

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