[4][5] Novartis manufactures the drugs clozapine (Clozaril), diclofenac (Voltaren; sold to GlaxoSmithKline in 2015 deal), carbamazepine (Tegretol), valsartan (Diovan), imatinib mesylate (Gleevec/Glivec), cyclosporine (Neoral/Sandimmune), letrozole (Femara), methylphenidate (Ritalin; production ceased 2020), terbinafine (Lamisil), deferasirox (Exjade), and others.

Dan Fagin's Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation, the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning book, examined the issue of industrial pollution at the site in detail.

[18][19] Sandoz began clinical trials and marketed the substance, from 1947 through the mid-1960s, under the name Delysid as a psychiatric drug, thought useful for treating a wide variety of mental ailments, ranging from alcoholism to sexual deviancy.

The drug became a cultural novelty of the 1960s after psychologist Timothy Leary at Harvard University began to promote its use for recreational and spiritual experiences among the general public.

On 1 November 1986, a fire broke out in a production plant storage room, which led to the Sandoz chemical spill and a large amount of pesticide being released into the upper Rhine river.

[35] In 2007, Novartis sold the Gerber Products Company to Nestlé as part of its continuing effort to shed old Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy businesses and focus on healthcare.

[37] In 2010, Novartis offered to pay US$39.3 billion to fully acquire Alcon, the world's largest eye-care company, including a majority stake held by Nestlé.

[52] In October 2014, Novartis announced its intention to sell its influenza vaccine business (inclusive of its development pipeline), subject to regulatory approval, to CSL for $275 million.

[57][58] In October the company acquired Admune Therapeutics for an undisclosed sum, as well as licensing PBF-509, an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist which is in Phase I clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer, from Palobiofarma.

[64][65] In April of the same year, the business utilised some of the proceeds from the aforementioned GlaxoSmithKline deal to acquire Avexis for $218 per share or $8.7 billion in total, gaining the lead compound AVXS-101 used to treat spinal muscular atrophy.

[71] In late December the company announced it would acquire France-based contract manufacturer, CellforCure from LFB, boosting its capacity to produce cell and gene therapies.

[78] In September 2020, Novartis was imposed a fine of €385 million by the French competition authority on accusations of abusive practices to preserve sales of Lucentis over a cheaper drug.

[79] Also in September, BioNTech has leased a large production facility from Novartis to follow all advance demands for its coronavirus vaccine in Europe and sell it to China.

Novartis allegedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on fraudulent speaker programs that served as a means to bribe doctors with cash payments and other extravagant rewards.

[citation needed] In October Novartis announced it would acquire Vedere Bio for $280 million boosting the businesses cell and gene therapy offerings.

[89] In August 2022, the company announced its plan to spin off Sandoz generic drugs unit to form a publicly traded business as part of a restructuring.

[105] In July 2024, Novartis entered into a strategic collaboration with Dren Bio to develop therapeutic bispecific antibodies for cancer, with the deal worth up to $3 billion.

[106][107] In November 2024, Novartis and Ratio Therapeutics entered into a worldwide licence and collaboration agreement worth $745m to advance a somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2)-targeting radiotherapeutic candidate for cancer.

[150] In January 2009, the United States Department of Health and Human Services awarded Novartis a $486 million contract for construction of the first US plant to produce cell-based influenza vaccine, to be located in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

[177] When examination of Novartis' patent application began in 2005, it came under immediate attack from oppositions initiated by generic companies that were already selling Gleevec in India and by advocacy groups.

[180] Although the court ruled narrowly,[181] and took care to note that the subject application was filed during a time of transition in Indian patent law,[182] the decision generated widespread global news coverage and reignited debates on balancing public good with monopolistic pricing, innovation with affordability etc.

[186][187] In reaction to the decision, Ranjit Shahani, vice-chairman and managing director of Novartis India Ltd was quoted as saying "This ruling is a setback for patients that will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options.

[191] In September 2010, Novartis agreed to pay US$422.5 million in criminal and civil claims and to enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the US Office of the Inspector General.

[192] According to The New York Times, "Federal prosecutors accused Novartis of paying illegal kickbacks to health care professionals through speaker programs, advisory boards, entertainment, travel and meals.

[193][194] The first suit "accused Novartis of inducing pharmacies to switch thousands of kidney transplant patients to its immunosuppressant drug Myfortic in exchange for kickbacks disguised as rebates and discounts".

[200] In January 2014 Japan's Health Ministry filed a criminal complaint with the Tokyo public prosecutor's office against Novartis and an unspecified number of employees, for allegedly misleading consumers through advertisements that used the research to support the benefits of Diovan.

[208] In June 2020, Novartis reached settlements with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) resolving all Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations into historical conduct by the company and its subsidiaries.

[211] In July 2018, the US Senate committee report "White House Access for Sale" revealed that Novartis Ag's relationship with Cohen was "longer and more detailed".

Later, it became clear, however, that then-CEO Joseph Jimenez and Cohen communicated via email multiple times during 2017, which included ideas to lower drug prices to be discussed with the president.

[212][213] Having already received approval for Zolgensma in May 2019, on 28 June AveXis (a Novartis company) voluntarily disclosed to the FDA that some data previously submitted to the agency as part of the Biologics License Application (BLA) package was inaccurate.