Novartis was created in 1996 from the merger of the Swiss based life sciences companies, Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz.  At the time, the merger was the largest in corporate history.
 

Since the merger in 1996, Novartis has transformed itself from a diverse group, including agribusiness, to a highly focused leading healthcare company.
 

The years since the merger have seen many strategic changes including the purchase of Hexal and Eon Labs, creating a world leader in generics under the brand name Sandoz, as well as the acquisition of Chiron Vaccines in 2006, taking Novartis to the forefront of vaccines and diagnostics.