The World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB) awarded Novartis the Ethics in Business Award in the Outstanding Corporation category. The WFEB is the public interest foundation focused on promoting and defending ethical approaches to business and corporate governance.

“This award recognizes our efforts in implementing Social Ventures, and building responsibility into our business, particularly in the developing world,” said Joseph Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer of Novartis.

Novartis Social Ventures are innovative business models that build local, sustainable capabilities for healthcare around the world. In 2012, Novartis programs to enhance access to healthcare reached 101 million patients globally, and were valued at USD 2 billion. These programs include the Malaria Initiative, one of the healthcare industry’s largest access-to-medicine programs, and Arogya Parivar, a sustainable business model that makes affordable, high-quality medicines accessible to underserved millions in India.

The Ethics in Business Awards honor individuals and companies that have demonstrated the importance of human values and ethics in business. The Outstanding Corporation Award was presented by Mrs. Rajita Kulkarni, President of the World Forum for Ethics in Business, at the annual International Leadership Symposium at the European Parliament in Brussels.

To learn more about Novartis access to healthcare programs, please visit: http://www.novartis.com/corporate-responsibility/access-to-healthcare/our-key-initiatives/index.shtml. 

Disclaimer
This press release contains expressed or implied forward-looking statements, including statements that can be identified by terminology such as “efforts,” “implementing,” “building,” “sustainable,” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Group regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such statements. These expectations could be affected by, among other things, risks and factors referred to in the Risk Factors section of Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update it in the future. 

About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2012, the Group achieved net sales of USD 56.7 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.3 billion (USD 9.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 133,000 full-time equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
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Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide.

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