Novartis announced today that it has received regulatory approval for the import of its Bt-11 genetically improved corn into the European Union for use in food and animal feed. The approval was ratified when the United Kingdom, acting as the rapporteur member state, gave consent to the European Commission decision to allow Novartis Bt-11 corn to be marketed.

Heinz Imhof, CEO of Novartis Seeds, welcomed the decision: ”This approval is a clear
endorsement of the safety and quality of our genetically improved corn. This decision follows
approvals in the USA, Canada and Japan and allows the use of Bt-11 corn in Europe.”

With built-in protection against the European Corn Borer and the Pink Stem Borer, two
devastating corn pests, Novartis Bt corn represents a new, environmentally-friendly way to
control insect pests and, therefore, to ensure yield. Furthermore, the European Commission’s
Scientific Committee on Plants recently concluded that genetically modified maize grain carrying
the Bt-11 event can be considered as safe as grain from non-genetically modified plants.

Already approved for use in the USA, Canada and Japan, Novartis’ Bt-11 corn has been
cultivated in North America since 1996. It is the second Novartis Bt-corn product to be
authorized in Europe. The first, Bt-176, was approved for all uses in the European Union in
February 1997 and was approved for cultivation in both France and Spain this year.

Novartis is a world leader in Life Sciences with core business in Healthcare, Agribusiness and
Nutrition. In 1997, Novartis Group sales were 31.2 billion Swiss francs, of which 18.8 billion
were in Healthcare, 8.3 billion in Agribusiness and 4.1 billion in Nutrition. The group annually
invests more than 3.6 billion Swiss francs in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland,
Novartis employs about 87,000 people and operates in over 100 countries around the world.

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