The Novartis Consumer Health Division focuses on creating, developing, manufacturing, and marketing a wide range of competitively differentiated products that restore, maintain, or improve the health and well being of our consumers. Critical to the success of Consumer Health is giving a voice to the consumer in everything we do in order to deliver accelerated sales growth and profitable leadership positions.
 
Comprised of five business units, the Consumer Health Division is active in OTC self-medication, Animal Health, Medical Nutrition (including Nutrition & Santé franchise), Infant & Baby, and CIBA Vision. As of January 2005, the Sandoz generics business became a separate Novartis division and is no longer part of Consumer Health.

Over-the-Counter (OTC)
OTC is a world leader in the development, production and marketing of self-medication products for the in-home treatment and prevention of medical conditions and ailments and to enhance overall health and well-being. Teams from R&D and marketing strive to improve existing brands and explore, develop and bring to market new products via two routes: Product 'switches' to OTC from prescription-only status and, innovative formulations and formats. The main product categories are cough, cold and allergy treatments, gastrointestinal treatments, dermatological treatments, topical analgesics, mineral supplements, and smoking cessation treatments.
 

The OTC business unit is headquartered in Parsippany (New Jersey, USA) and employs about 4 000 staff. In 2004, OTC sales reached USD 1.98 billion.

Animal Health
Novartis Animal Health focuses on the well-being of companion animals and on the health and productivity of farm animals. Most of its products are available by prescription through veterinarians. Novartis Animal Health is at the forefront of new and better treatments for the most common pet ailments such as internal parasites, fleas, renal, heart, and allergic diseases. For livestock and farmed fish diseases, Novartis Animal Health offers prevention through vaccination as well as therapeutic products to treat parasitic and bacterial infections. Scientists at Novartis Animal Health are striving for improved animal care by searching for new therapies and novel delivery technologies. New molecules are identified by screening novel compounds from own research, through external collaborations as well as by building on Novartis' experience in human medicine.
 
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and present in 40 countries, Novartis Animal Health employs approximately 2 200 people worldwide and achieved sales of USD 682 million in 2003. Our Canadian headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario.

Medical Nutrition
Novartis Medical Nutrition is a leader in its market and offers a complete range of enteral nutrition medical food products and services tailored to the varying needs of patients, health professionals, and carers. Depending upon their condition, patients need specific nutritional support to protect and accelerate recovery as well as to improve health and well-being. The product range encompasses supplements, which are taken orally as well as other products administered through tube feeds and specific medical devices. Novartis Medical Nutrition focuses on disease specific therapeutic areas. Products are administered under professional guidance or over the counter direct to the patient, so we can meet their nutritional needs whether they are in hospitals, nursing homes, or at home.
 
Headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland and present in almost 50 countries, Novartis Medical Nutrition employs more than 2800 staff worldwide. In 2003, sales were USD 815 million. Our Canadian headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario.

Infant and Baby
For 75 years, the Gerber Products Company has been committed to helping parents raise happy, healthy babies through extensive research aimed at understanding and improving infant and toddler nutrition and development. The complete line includes Care and Wellness products featuring baby washes, shampoos, lotions, dental care products, bottles and products for breastfeeding mothers. Gerber's products are labelled in 16 different languages and distributed to 80 countries. Gerber also offers whole life insurance, through the Gerber Life Insurance Company, another way it carries out the mission of helping parents.
 
The Gerber Products Company is headquartered in Parsippany (New Jersey, USA) and employs about 4800 associates worldwide. In 2003, sales reached USD 1.3 billion. Our Canadian headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario.

CIBA Vision
CIBA Vision is a global leader in the research, development and manufacturing of optical products and services, including contact lenses and lens care products. CIBA Vision stays focused on its mission of ”better eyes for a better life” by developing innovative approaches to address a variety of vision correction needs.
 
CIBA Vision has worldwide headquarters in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) and employs approximately 6,000 people. Sales in 2004 achieved USD 1.41 billion. CIBA Vision products are available in more than 70 countries.