SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 or 15d-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Report on Form 6-K dated April 11, 2002 Novartis AG (Name of Registrant) Lichtstrasse 35 4056 Basel Switzerland ----------- (Address of Principal Executive Offices) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F X Form 40-F_ --- Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes No X --- --- Enclosure: 1. Invitation for Novartis First Quarter Results 2002 - Conference Call 2. First Quarter 2002 Sales & Results Pre-Announcement: 2001 Figures (Investor Relations, 9 April 2002) Investor Relations Novartis International AG CH-4002 Basel Switzerland Karen J Huebscher, PH.D. [Novartis Logo] Tel +41 61 324 8433 Nafida Bendali Tel +41 61 324 3514 Sabine Moravi, MBA Tel + 41 61 324 8989 Fax + 41 61 324 8844 Silke Zentner Tel + 41 61 324 8612 Francisco Bouzas Tel + 41 61 324 2462 Fax + 41 61 324 8844 Internet Address: http://www.novartis.com INVITATION FOR - "NOVARTIS FIRST QUARTER RESULTS 2002 - CONFERENCE CALL" First Quarter Sales & Results 2002 Dear Investor We are pleased to invite you to our first quarter results conference call. Please see below the following dial-in numbers: Date: Thursday, April 18, 2001 Time: Advisable: dial-in 10 minutes before 6.00 p.m. Switzerland 5.00 p.m. UK 12.00 p.m. New York Phone numbers: +41 91 610 41 11 or "Free Phone" +800 2467 87 00 Europe/ROW +1 800 860 24 42 USA You may access the conference call as a live audio webcast on the Internet: www.novartis.com/investors Playback for 48 hrs after the call commences Date: Thursday, April 18, 2002 Beginning: 9.00 p.m. (Switzerland) 8.00 p.m. (UK) 3.00 p.m. (New York) Phone numbers: +41 91 610 25 00 Europe/ROW +1 877 344 75 29 USA Code: 705 [NOVARTIS LOGO] First Quarter 2002 Sales & Results Pre-Announcement: 2001 Figures Investor Relations, 9 April 2002 Comments on Quarterly Reporting -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o As of first quarter 2002 Novartis will be reporting both Sales and Results on a quarterly basis o In addition, sectorial information will be more detailed: The performance of Nutrition as well as OTC will be shown o In the following slides please find the corresponding figures for the first quarter 2001 as a baseline to work from [NOVARTIS LOGO] Sector Sales in Q1 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Rest of World Total CHF millions CHF millions CHF millions Pharmaceuticals 1,793 2,745 4,538 Generics 156 372 528 OTC 175 426 601(1) Healthcare 2,124 3,543 5,667 CIBA Vision 179 244 423 Nutrition 498 396 894(2) Animal Health 75 165 240 Group 2,876 4,348 7,224(3) 1-3 Adjustments for changes in accounting policy on sales incentives and discounts to retailers, see notes on next slide [NOVARTIS LOGO] Notes on Adjustments -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following adjustments were made as a result of changes we have implemented in our IAS financial statements in order to conform with US GAAP rules EITF 00-14 and EITF 00-25 whereby incentives to retailers must be treated as a reduction in Revenue rather than as a Marketing & Distribution expense. 1) CHF 601 m Originally reported OTC sales of CHF 631 m reduced by CHF 30 m as a result of these changes 2) CHF 894 m Originally reported Nutrition sales of CHF 960 m reduced by CHF 66 m as a result of these changes 3) CHF 7,224 m Originally reported Group sales of CHF 7,320 m reduced by CHF 96 m as a result of these changes [NOVARTIS LOGO] Sector Operating Income in Q1 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total % of Sales o Low operating margin with CHF CIBA Vision as a result of millions integration costs associated with the Group 1,545 21.4 acquisition of Wesley Jessen (CHF 28 m). Pharmaceuticals 1,244 27.4 In 2002 no further integration costs are Generics 65 12.3 expected to occur. OTC 58 9.7 o In Animal Health operating margins were solid in Q1 Healthcare 1,367 24.1 2001 as the full impact of competitive pressures in CIBA Vision 6 1.4 the higher margin companion animal business and the Nutrition 108 12.1 impact of foot and mouth disease in Europe was felt Animal Health 44 18.3 later on in the year. Corporate Income 20 -- [NOVARTIS LOGO] Q1 2001 Consolidated Income Statement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total CHF millions Total sales 7,224 ----------- ----- Cost of goods sold -1,874 Gross profit 5,350 ------------ ----- Marketing & Distribution -2,499 Research & Development -929 General & Administration -377 Operating income 1,545 ---------------- ----- Income from associated companies 31 Financial income, net 217 Income before taxes and minority interests 1,793 ------------------------------------------ ----- Taxes -305 Minority interests -3 Net income 1,485 ---------- ----- [NOVARTIS LOGO] Appendix -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Breakdown from Q1 to Q4 2001 [NOVARTIS LOGO] Quarterly Breakdown of Operating Income By Sector 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1 Q2 1H Q3 Q4 Full Year CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF millions millions millions millions millions millions Group 7,224 8,043 15,267 8,117 8,259 31,643 Pharmaceuticals 4,538 5,151 9,689 5,207 5,285 20,181 Generics 528 593 1,121 636 676 2,433 OTC 601 613 1,214 652 672 2,538 Healthcare 5,667 6,357 12,024 6,495 6,633 25,152 CIBA Vision 423 458 881 485 421 1,787 Nutrition 894 978 1,872 912 958 3,742 Animal Health 240 250 490 225 247 962 [NOVARTIS LOGO] Sales Adjustments(1) For 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1 Q2 1H Q3 Q4 Full Year CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF millions millions millions millions millions millions Group -96 -101 -197 -103 -95 -395 OTC -30 -29 -59 -29 -41 -129 Nutrition -66 -72 -138 -74 -54 -266 1 adjustments for changes in accounting policy on sales incentives and discounts to retailers [NOVARTIS LOGO] Quarterly Breakdown of Operating Income By Sector 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1 Q2 1H Q3 Q4 Full Year CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF millions millions millions millions millions millions Group 1,545 1,935 3,480 1,873 1,924 7,277 Pharmaceuticals 1,244 1,451 2,695 1,436 1,546 5,677 Generics 65 76 141 68 72 281 OTC 58 94 152 126 174 452 Healthcare 1,367 1,621 2,988 1,630 1,792 6,410 CIBA Vision 6 81 87 69 18 174 Nutrition 108 125 233 113 122 468 Animal Health 44 22 66 30 42 138 Corporate income/expense 20 86 106 31 -50 87 [NOVARTIS LOGO] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001 Quarterly Consolidated Income Statement Q1 Q2 1H2001 Q3 Q4 FY2001 CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF CHF millions millions millions millions millions millions Total sales 7,224 8,043 15,267 8,117 8,259 31,643 Cost of goods sold -1,874 -1,930 -3,804 -2,000 -2,082 -7,886 Gross profit 5,350 6,113 11,463 6,117 6,177 23,757 Marketing&Distribution -2,499 -2,766 -5,265 -2,689 -2,749 -10,703 Research&Development -929 -1,081 -2,010 -1,057 -1,122 -4,189 General&Administration -377 -331 -708 -498 -382 -1,588 Operating income 1,545 1,935 3,480 1,873 1,924 7,277 Income from associated companies 31 46 77 23 39 139 Financial income, net 217 735 952 197 -82 1,067 Income before taxes and minority interests 1,793 2,716 4,509 2,093 1,881 8,483 Taxes -305 -463 -768 -399 -273 -1,440 Minority interests -3 -9 -12 -11 4 -19 Net income 1,485 2,244 3,729 1,683 1,612 7,024 [NOVARTIS LOGO] SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. Novartis AG Date: April 11, 2002 By: /s/ RAYMUND BREU ----------------------------- Name: Raymund Breu Title: Chief Financial Officer