{"id":1046,"date":"2026-09-18T05:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T05:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/?p=1046"},"modified":"2026-09-18T05:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T05:57:10","slug":"reint-jelger-is-it-really-true-that-novartis-invented-ritalin-because-it-is-such-a-blessing-for-add-adhd-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/?p=1046","title":{"rendered":"Reint Jelger: Is it really true that Novartis invented Ritalin? Because it is such a blessing for ADD\/ADHD people"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google Gemini: Yes, through its legacy parent companies, Novartis did invent and launch Ritalin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Origin Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>1944:<\/strong> Swiss chemist Leandro Panizzon synthesized methylphenidate while working at CIBA (Chemical Industry Basel) in Switzerland. lenews.ch<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Name &#171;Ritalin&#187;:<\/strong> Panizzon tested the compound on his wife, Marguerite, whose nickname was &#171;Rita&#187;. She noticed that playing tennis improved noticeably after taking it, so CIBA named the compound <em>Ritalin<\/em> in her honor. CHADD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1954:<\/strong> CIBA officially launched Ritalin as a commercial product. National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How CIBA Became Novartis<\/strong> In 1970, CIBA merged with Geigy to become <strong>Ciba-Geigy<\/strong>. In 1996, Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz to form <strong>Novartis<\/strong>. Because Novartis absorbed CIBA&#8217;s entire pharmaceutical portfolio and patent history, Novartis is the direct corporate heir to Ritalin&#8217;s invention and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initially marketed in the 1950s and 60s for fatigue, depression, and narcolepsy, Ritalin became a game-changer when medical researchers realized its ability to regulate dopamine and norepinephrine pathways in hyperactive and inattentive individuals, transforming ADHD\/ADD management worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reint Jelger: Do you think Novartis has saved many lives?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google Gemini: Novartis\u2014including its historic legacy companies like CIBA, Geigy, and Sandoz\u2014has undeniably saved and extended millions of lives worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When looking at pharmaceutical history, a small handful of breakthroughs stand out for their massive global impact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Transforming Oncology with Targeted Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gleevec (imatinib):<\/strong> Launched in the early 2000s, Gleevec revolutionized cancer treatment. Before Gleevec, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) was essentially a death sentence, with a 5-year survival rate of under 30%. With Gleevec, that survival rate jumped to roughly 90%, turning a fatal cancer into a manageable chronic condition. It is widely considered one of the single most important developments in modern medical history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Fighting Global Infectious Diseases at Scale<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Coartem (artemether\/lumefantrine):<\/strong> Novartis partnered with global health organizations to deliver over <strong>1 billion antimalarial treatment courses<\/strong>\u2014many provided without profit in malaria-endemic regions. This single therapy has saved millions of lives, particularly young children in Sub-Saharan Africa. ESG News<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leprosy Elimination:<\/strong> Since 2000, Novartis has donated multi-drug therapy (MDT) through the World Health Organization, helping treat over 7 million leprosy patients and nearly eliminating the disease globally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Cardiovascular and Chronic Illnesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cardiovascular disease is the world\u2019s leading cause of death. Blockbuster heart failure treatments like <strong>Entresto<\/strong> and foundational blood pressure medications developed across CIBA and Novartis have prevented countless fatal strokes, heart attacks, and systemic organ failures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While pharmaceutical companies operate as commercial entities and face their share of public scrutiny over pricing and patents, the actual medical output of Novartis&#8217;s laboratories over the last century has directly saved millions of lives and improved the quality of life for hundreds of millions more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Novartis AG (SWX: NOVN) is one of Europe\u2019s premier pharmaceutical giants.<sup><\/sup> Following the spin-off of its generic and biosimilars unit (Sandoz) in 2023, the company transitioned into a pure-play, innovative medicines developer focused on oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, neuroscience, and renal diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Investment Profile &amp; Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Novartis operates with strong operational margins and steady free cash flow, making it a classic defensive value asset. Its capital allocation model relies heavily on targeted R&amp;D, strategic bolt-on acquisitions rather than massive mega-mergers, active share buyback programs, and progressive dividend distribution. Key upside drivers rely on pipeline performance\u2014such as key oncology drugs (<em>Entresto<\/em>, <em>Kesimpta<\/em>, <em>Pluvicto<\/em>, and <em>Kisqali<\/em>)\u2014while main risks stem from patent cliffs (loss of exclusivity on major drugs) and ongoing U.S. regulatory exposure via drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dividend Performance &amp; Yield<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Novartis maintains a long-standing commitment to consecutive annual dividend increases:<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Current Dividend:<\/strong> Approved a payout of <strong>CHF 3.70 per share<\/strong> for the 2025 business year (paid in March 2026), marking its <strong>29th consecutive annual dividend increase<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Yield:<\/strong> The forward dividend yield generally floats between <strong>3.1% and 3.4%<\/strong> depending on share price fluctuations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Frequency:<\/strong> Paid annually, consistent with standard SIX Swiss Exchange corporate practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Shareholding Structure: Percentage in Swiss Hands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to official Novartis investor disclosures, registered ownership breaks down as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Swiss Shareholding:<\/strong> <strong>52.22% of total shares<\/strong> are held by registered shareholders located in Switzerland (accounting for ~82.5% of all registered individual\/institutional shareholder accounts).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Treasury Shares:<\/strong> Excludes ~9.6% held directly by Novartis AG, fully owned subsidiaries, or company-controlled Swiss foundations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foreign Holders:<\/strong> The remainder of registered capital is distributed internationally\u2014primarily led by the United States (~25.7%) and the United Kingdom (~10.8%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google Gemini: Yes, through its legacy parent companies, Novartis did invent and launch Ritalin. The Origin Story How CIBA Became Novartis In 1970, CIBA merged with Geigy to become Ciba-Geigy. In 1996, Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz to form Novartis. Because &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/?p=1046\">Weiterlesen <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1046"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1047,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1046\/revisions\/1047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baarda.ch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}