Thanks for nothing Novartis. From Alcon

And here you have it:

Thu Sep 15, 2016 | 9:38am EDT
Novartis says 'never say never' to Alcon disposal
By John Miller | ZURICH

Novartis (NOVN.S) cannot rule out selling its Alcon eye care and surgery equipment division, its chief lawyer said on Thursday, helping fan speculation the Swiss drug company could offload a business that has been struggling to revitalize sales.

General Counsel Felix Ehrat told a mergers and acquisitions conference in Zurich that Alcon's position as a leading surgical instruments maker fits Novartis's overall strategy of focusing on divisions which are among the largest players in their respective sectors.

However, pressed on whether Novartis would rule out the prospect of an Alcon sale, Ehrat said at the conference organized by Swiss newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft that such a pledge "wouldn't be clever".

"Never say never," he added.

Early this year Novartis Chief Executive Joe Jimenez replaced Alcon's chief executive following successive quarters of falling sales, attributing the poor performance to a lack of innovative new products and waning customer focus.

The division's new boss Michael Ball is concentrating on top-line growth at the expense of profitability as he seeks to reinvigorate sales by year's end.

But Alcon's poor performance and status as a device maker following the move this year of its ophthalmic drugs business into Novartis's main pharmaceuticals division, has fueled talk it is on the disposal block, especially if Ball's turnaround effort fails.

"Alcon will either be fixed or sold," David Evans, an analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux, wrote in a recent note to investors.

Sales have been in decline since 2014 at Alcon, which the Swiss drugmaker gradually bought up from food maker Nestle in a series of deals totaling $51 billion, with the final portion acquired at the end of 2015.

Last year sales at Alcon fell 9 percent to $9.8 billion, including $3.8 billion from the drugs business which has since been moved out of the division.

Novartis had sought to integrate the unit and its U.S.-centric culture - Alcon is based in Fort Worth, Texas - into the rest of the company, Ehrat said on Thursday, but a business model vastly different from the patent-protected world of drugs may have hampered the effort.

"As the current, temporary difficulties may illustrate, not everything worked optimally," Ehrat said. "I wouldn't say that's a result of failed integration, rather the result of a not 100 percent successful integration."

Yep, not entirely successful

 

At least AMO was bought by a company with knowledge of and history of success in surgical/medical devices. Noavartis is just clueless and they don't even seem to care.

 

Think they'll hire Jeff George? I hear he's an awesome leader with a solid track record.

 

What are you talking about? We're getting a 25 million dollar cafeteria!

 

How do you like your paneer - with or without? The new cafeteria will have 25 varieties of veggie fritters daily -- for when the 'cousins' come to town. Make sure your give 'em a big Texas "Howdy!"

 

We, in New Jersey and Suffern NY unfortunately learned last year what you are experiencing now. Good luck. Hope you get decent packages.

 

Novartis please just get the hell out of our business.
Someone on this thread wrote that Alcon surgical is to Novartis what a magic show is to child.
It's even worse than that. At least a child believes in magic. No one knows what Novartis believes in.
Go away, just stop, leave. We hate you so much.

 

Since the Novartis acquisition the follow have been on permanent back order:
Common sense
Professionalism
Loyalty
Integrity
Innovation
Leaders
Good decision making
Common sense again
Ethics
& most of all TRUST

 

Have the decency to know it's time to go.
Novartis is like having the ignorant drunk relative over for the holidays that won't leave and can't take a hint. You're our cousin Eddie from the vacation movies.

 

It is pure comedy watching anyone with a Novartis background trying to interact with customers at AAO in Chicago.

 

Anywhere at Novartis stinks. I feel particularly terrible for the Alcon folks. Really sorry for what has happened to your livelihood . Terrible.

 

From all of us here at Alcon we're sooool sorry about those lousy Q3 sales numbers. We feel just awful about it. Maybe the best thing for Novartis would be to sell us? Let's us know how we can help with that. Like today. It's not you it's us, I'm sure you understand.

 

What's next since it doesnt seem the turn will happen this year?

 

Hurry up and sell you Swiss cowards. Let your balls drop and get it done.

 

Thanks for ruining our once great company.

 

One of my favs and right on the money. Sell already for the LOVE OF GOD!!!!

 

Novartis tore up our offices and cubicles, outsourced our IT to Apu in India, and replaced our leadership with Novartis heads who had no clue on how to run a surgical business.

Now they are scratching their heads on why our business went to shit.

Selll us, please.

 

Oh, didn't you read the news? We're just not innovating.

 

Sell us, please.

 

The ignorance accompanied by astonishing arrogance is borderline sociopathic