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Alcon Inc.

Native name	Alcon AG
Company type	Public
Traded as	SIX: ALC NYSE: ALC
Industry	Ophthalmology
Founded	1945; 79 years ago (1945) in Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Headquarters	Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Key people	David Endicott (CEO)
Products	Surgical products Contact lenses Over-the-counter products
Revenue	US$9.46 billion (2023)
Operating income	US$1.04 billion (2023)
Net income	US$974 million (2023)
Total assets	US$29.6 billion (2023)
Total equity	US$20.6 billion (2023)
Number of employees	25,315 (FTE, 2023)
Website	alcon.com
Footnotes / references

Alcon Inc. (German: Alcon AG) is a Swiss-American pharmaceutical and medical device company specializing in eye care products. It has a paper headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland but its operational headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, where it employs about 4,500 people.

Alcon was a subsidiary of Novartis until April 2019, when it was spun out into a separate publicly traded company. Alcon itself has a number of subsidiaries, including Aerie Pharmaceuticals, focused on therapies for glaucoma and other diseases of the eye, and WaveLight, which develops and manufactures laser eye surgery technologies.

History

Alcon was founded in 1945 as a small pharmacy in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was named for its founders, pharmacists Robert Alexander and William Conner who focused on sterile ophthalmic products.

Nestlé of Switzerland purchased Alcon in 1977. Alcon expanded its manufacturing capability with new plants in South America and Europe and drastically increased its investment in research.

In 1979, Alcon acquired Texas Pharmacal Company which became Dermatological Products of Texas (and is now DPT Laboratories).

In 1984, Alcon founded the Technical Excellence Award to promote achievements in R&D excellence and has awarded it to more than 100 recipients. The Alcon product line has expanded from pharmaceuticals to the surgical arena. Today, Alcon has operations in 75 countries and its products are sold in over 180 countries.

Nestlé conducted an initial public offering of 25% of its stake in Alcon in 2002. The stock is traded under the ticker symbol ALC. In July 2008, Novartis purchased approximately 25% of Nestlé's stake in Alcon, with an option to buy Nestlé's remaining shares beginning in 2010. Novartis bought 52% stake from Nestlé for $28.1 Billion. This deal brought the total ownership of Alcon by Novartis to 77%. Beginning January 2010 Novartis formally announced it will be completing the exercise options for finishing purchasing the rest of Alcon and then promptly continue to exercise merger and takeover of Alcon.

On March 29, 2010, Alcon acquired Durezol and Zyclorin from Sirion Therapeutics. Alcon received regulatory approval to acquire the rights of Durezol emulsion in the US and the global rights, excluding Latin America, for Zyclorin from Sirion Therapeutics.

On June 28, 2010, Alcon's Independent Director Committee announced that a recommendation by the committee was an indispensable first step before the board of the company can decide on the merger proposal of Novartis AG, refuted Novartis’ public implications that it would be able to unilaterally impose the merger irrespective of the Independent Director Committee's position once Novartis became Alcon's majority shareholder. On July 8, 2010, Alcon's independent director committee (IDC) had set up a $50 million litigation trust to ensure company's minority shareholders get the best deal from bidder Novartis AG.

On April 9, 2019, Alcon completed a 100% spin-off from Novartis. The new standalone company is worth up to 28 billion Swiss francs.

In November 2021, Alcon announced it would acquire Ivantis and their glaucoma surgery stent technology for at least $475 million. In August 2022, Alcon agreed to buy Aerie Pharmaceuticals for US$770 million to enhance its ophthalmic pharmaceutical portfolio.

References

1. "Alcon Inc. 2023 Annual Report (Form 20-F)". SEC.gov. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 2024-02-27.
2. Bounds, Jeff (2020-01-22). "The (Alcon) Family Tree: How One Company Seeded a DFW Life Science Legacy". Dallas Innovates. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
3. "Novartis announces intention to seek shareholder approval for 100% spinoff of Alcon eye care devices business". Alcon.
4. ^ Smith, Anna (2019-04-10). "Novartis continues to 'reimagine' itself, as Alcon spin-off completed". PharmaTimes. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
5. "Oberpfälzer Adresse für Augen-Korrektur". www.onetz.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-10-20.
6. "Improving Vision through Innovation Since 1945".
7. Nicholson, Chris (4 January 2010). "Novartis to Buy Majority of Alcon From Nestlé". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014.
8. "Alcon considering $100 million manufacturing expansion in south Fort Worth". KERA News. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
9. "Alcon eyes new $100 million manufacturing plant in Fort Worth". Dallas News. 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
10. Taylor, Lisa (28 July 2002). "Permeating a market". San Antonio Business Journal.
11. "Reuters - Novartis announces offer to buy Nestlé's shares in Alcon".
12. "Novartis announces intention to seek shareholder approval for 100% spinoff of Alcon eye care devices business". Scribd.
13. News Media, A. B. C. "Boston Beer, Urban Outfitters fall, Alcon, Axon Enterprise rise, Wednesday, 2/28/2024". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
14. "Alcon Completes Acquisition of Durezol™ and Zyclorin™ from Sirion". Business Wire. March 29, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
15. "Alcon (ACL) Sets up trust for litigation between with Novartis to protect minorities". The Chief Executive Forum. Archived from the original on 2010-07-10.
16. "Alcon tops $28 billion market cap in decade's biggest Swiss stock deal". Reuters. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
17. "Novartis completes Alcon spin-off". www.healio.com. April 9, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
18. Smith, Anna (2019-04-10). "Novartis continues to 'reimagine' itself, as Alcon spin-off completed". PharmaTimes. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
19. "Alcon agrees $475 million deal to buy U.S. eye surgery company Ivantis". Reuters. 8 November 2021.
20. "Alcon buys the American Aerie Pharmaceuticals for 770 million". Swissinfo (in French). 23 August 2022.
21. News Media, ABC. "Boston Beer, Urban Outfitters fall, Alcon, Axon Enterprise rise, Wednesday, 2/28/2024". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
22. "Alcon posts 2024 outlook, quarterly numbers in line with market view". Reuters.

External links

• Business data for Alcon:
  • Bloomberg
  • Google
  • Reuters
  • SEC filings
  • Yahoo!
• Alcon Official Website
• Alcon : Novartis exercises option and proposes merger
• Novartis needs Alcon directors' OK for buyout
• Swiss Corporate Governance Expert Supports Alcon Independent Director Committee’s Position against Novartis

v t e Swiss Market Index companies of Switzerland
ABB Alcon Geberit Givaudan Holcim Kühne + Nagel Logitech Lonza Nestlé Novartis Partners Group Richemont Roche Sika Sonova Swiss Life Swiss Re Swisscom UBS Zurich Insurance Group

v t e Swiss Leader Index companies of Switzerland
ABB Adecco ams Alcon Geberit Givaudan Holcim Julius Bär Kuehne + Nagel Lindt (PS) Logitech Lonza Nestlé Novartis Partners Group Richemont Roche Schindler SGS Sika Sonova Straumann Swatch Group Swiss Life Swiss Re Swisscom Temenos UBS VAT Group Zurich Insurance Group

v t e Pharmaceutical companies of Switzerland
Actelion Alcon Alliance Boots Basilea Pharmaceutica Cilag Debiopharm Fenjal Ferring Pharmaceuticals Galderma Health Valley Lonza Molecular Partners Novartis Nycomed Octapharma Relief Therapeutics Roche Straumann

v t e Nestlé
Divisions	Nestlé Purina PetCare Nestlé Waters Nestlé Wyeth Nutrition Divested BlueTriton Brands (Nestlé Waters North America)
Subsidiaries	Nestlé India (62.76%) Nestlé Pakistan Nestlé Canada Nestlé Japan Nestlé Malaysia Nestlé Lanka
Joint ventures	Beverage Partners Worldwide Cereal Partners Worldwide Froneri Nestlé Toll House Café
Other assets	Hsu Fu Chi (60%) L'Oréal (30.3%) Osem (100%) Yinlu Foods (60%) Malher (100%) Lactalis-Nestlé Fresh Products
Brands	Appliances BabyNes Dolce Gusto Nespresso Special.T SICAL Baby nutrition BabyNes Bear Brand Cerelac Gerber Nido Baking Libby's Toll House cookies Bottled water Contrex Acqua Panna Perrier Princes Gate Pure Life S.Pellegrino Vittel Cereals Cheerios Chocapic Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookie Crisp Corn Flakes Fitness Golden Grahams Golden Nuggets Lion Cereal Lucky Charms Milo Cereal Nesquik (cereal) Trix Shreddies Shredded Wheat Chocolate and desserts Animal Bar Abuelita Aero Aero Biscuits After Eight Allen's Bar One Bertie Beetle Big Turk Blue Riband Black Magic Bono Breakaway Cailler Caramac Carlos V Cheekies Chokito Coffee Crisp Crisp Crunch Drifter Fox's Garoto Goobers Kit Kat Kit Kats in Japan Kohler Life Savers Lion Mackintosh's Toffee Matchmakers Menier Chocolate Milkybar Milo Mirage Munchies Negresco Nestlé Milk Chocolate Passatempo Peppermint Crisp Perugina Polo Quality Street Red Ripperz Rolo Rowntree's Rowntree's Fruit Gums Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles Sin Parar Smarties Svitoch TEX Walnut Whip White Knight Yorkie Zvečevo Coffee and beverages Abuelita Alpine Acticor BabyNes Blue Bottle Coffee Boost Carnation Caro Chameleon Cold-Brew Chuckie Coffee-Mate Dolce Gusto Huesitos Klim La Lechera Menier Milo cocoa Nescafé Nescafé Azera Nescafé Gold Nescau Nesfruta Nespresso Nesquik Nestea Ovaltine Ricoré Seattle's Best Coffee Starbucks Supligen Sweet Leaf Zoégas Dairy products Alpine Bear Brand Carnation Coffee-Mate La Lechera Nesquik Ice cream D'Onofrio Drumstick Eskimo Pie Fab Frosty Paws Häagen-Dazs Hjem-IS Ice Screamers Kit Kat Maxibon Mövenpick Parlour Savory Smarties Prepared and packaged food and snacks Buitoni California Pizza Kitchen DiGiorno Herta Hot Pockets Lean Cuisine Libby's Lean Pockets Maggi Stouffer's Thomy Tombstone Uncle Tobys Winiary Wagner Yinlu Foods Purina PetCare Alpo Bakers Complete Beggin' Strips Beneful Bonio Dog Chow Fancy Feast Felix Friskies Frosty Paws ONE Winalot Uncle Tobys Cheerios PLUS Weeties Former brands and subsidiaries Alcon Alfasigma Arrowhead Butterfinger Baby Ruth Chocolate Surpresa Deer Park Dreyer's Enviga Gale's Galderma Laboratories Cetaphil Epiduo Restylane Hoadley's Ice Mountain Jenny Craig Ozarka Peter's Chocolate Poland Spring Polly Waffle PowerBar Powwow Water Rowntree Mackintosh Violet Crumble Wonder Ball Zephyrhills
People	Günter Blobel Paul Bulcke Peter Brabeck-Letmathe Nobuyuki Idei Henri Nestlé Kaspar Villiger
Related	Nestea European Championship Tour 1977 Nestlé boycott Nestlé Invitational Nestlé Rowntree F.C. Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Nestlé Tower Toll House cookies International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes Nescafé Basement Maggi noodles safety concerns in India Freshly
Related articles	List of Nestlé brands Controversies of Nestlé
Currently manufactured by General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. Brand owned by General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. U.S. production rights owned by The Hershey Company. U.S. rights and production owned by the Smarties Candy Company with a different product. U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods elsewhere. Philippine production rights owned by Alaska Milk Corporation. Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by Fraser and Neave. Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Used only in the Philippines. U.S. production rights owned by the Ferrara Candy Company. NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. Brand owned by Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. Produced by Froneri in the U.S. since 2020. Category Commons

• Alcon
• Pharmaceutical companies established in 1945
• Companies based in Fort Worth, Texas
• Pharmaceutical companies of Switzerland
• Multinational companies
• Contact lenses
• Pharmaceutical companies of the United States
• Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
• Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange
• Companies in the Swiss Market Index
• Life sciences industry
• Health care companies based in Texas
• Eyewear companies of the United States
• Novartis
• 2010 mergers and acquisitions
• 2002 initial public offerings