Alcon

Alcon, Inc.

Type	Subsidiary of Novartis
Industry	Ophthalmology
Founded	Fort Worth, Texas, United States (1945)
Headquarters	Hünenberg, Switzerland Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Products	Ophthalmic pharmaceuticals Surgical equipment Contact care products Dry Eye Products Ocular Vitamins
Revenue	$10 billion USD (2011)
Number of employees	23,000+ (2011)
Website	www.alcon.com

Alcon is an American global medical company specializing in eye care products and headquartered in Hünenberg, Switzerland. Alcon's American headquarters are located in Fort Worth, Texas. Alcon is a subsidiary of Novartis.

Alcon was founded in 1945 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The company started as a small pharmacy in Fort Worth and was named for its founders, pharmacists Robert Alexander and William Conner. Conner and Alexander 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 their 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 ACL. 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 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.