Roche Australia

Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics

Descendants of the founding Hoffmann and Oeri families own half of the company. Sells its products in some 180 countries.

Pharmaceuticals manufacturer

Novartis was created in 1996 through the merger of 2 Swiss companies, Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Completed a complex three-part transaction with GSK in 2015: GSK acquired Novartis' global vaccines business, Novartis bought GSK's oncology business, and the two companies formed a Consumer Healthcare joint venture. Novartis now operates in just four areas - novel drugs, its Alcon eye care products, its Sandoz generic drugs business, and the GSK joint venture.