Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the business of developing, manufacturing, and marketing healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Innovative Medicines, Sandoz, and Corporate. The Innovative Medicines segment includes researching, distributing and selling patented pharmaceuticals. The Sandoz segment focuses on marketing finished dosage form medicines and intermediary products including active pharmaceutical ingredients. The Corporate segment is involved in group management and central services. The company was founded on February 29, 1996 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.