The Sandoz brand is a seal of quality, and healthcare professionals around the world trust it as a symbol of high-quality, affordable medications.⁵

Our local portfolio comprises approximately 100 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas plus a range of value-added customer and patient centric services. Our products reached an estimated 9.4 million people in South Africa in 2019.^6,7 

Our broad portfolio offering translates into substantial and ongoing savings and improved access to healthcare, which help to ensure the sustainability of healthcare systems in the face of significant budgetary pressures.^1,2

Our History

Sandoz can trace its origins to a small chemical company that came into being in Basel, Switzerland, in 1886. Kern & Sandoz, as the company was initially called, focused on the production of dyes. However, within a decade it produced its first pharmaceutical substance, antipyrine, a fever-controlling agent.

Over the course of the 20th century, the Sandoz brand grew consistently and came to enjoy international recognition. In 1996, the merger of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy led to the creation of Novartis. The Sandoz brand became dormant for a few years, but did not lose its name recognition, and in 2003, when Novartis united its global generics businesses under a single global brand, the name Sandoz was reestablished.⁵

Doing Business Responsibly

Society has increasingly high expectations for ethical behavior from global healthcare companies – expectations that very often go beyond what is legally required. We are taking steps to ensure our standards align with these expectations.⁸

Sandoz is committed to ensuring our associates are empowered to do what’s right. On September 01, 2020, we introduced a new Code of Ethics. Created by our associates, for our associates, our new Code is a collection of our commitments to ethical standards across our business.⁸

Health, Safety & The Environment

We strive to make efficient use of natural resources and to minimize the environmental impact of our activities and products.⁸

Diversity & Inclusion

Sandoz is fully committed to Diversity & Inclusion

At Sandoz we want to build a diverse and inclusive workplace where every one of us can be our best and true selves, so that together we can discover more, reach underserved communities and reimagine medicine. Learn more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion, embedded in our Code of Ethics.⁹