EXPLANATORY NOTE
These Post-Effective Amendments relate to the following Registration Statements on Form S-8 (collectively, the Registration Statements), filed by Novartis AG (the Registrant) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC):
· Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-119475), filed with the SEC on October 4, 2004, registering 15,000,000 ordinary shares issuable under the Novartis Corporation 2001 Stock Incentive Plan for North American Employees (as amended through February 4, 2004);
· Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-137112), filed with the SEC on September 5, 2006, registering 35,000,000 ordinary shares issuable under the Novartis Corporation 2001 Stock Incentive Plan for North American Employees (as amended through December 31, 2005);
· Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-162727), filed with the SEC on October 29, 2009, registering 20,000,000 ordinary shares issuable under the Novartis Corporation 2001 Stock Incentive Plan for North American Employees (as amended through January 1, 2008); and
· Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-173382), filed with the SEC on April 8, 2011, registering 22,000,000 ordinary shares issuable under the Amended 2002 Alcon Incentive Plan, as amended December 1, 2010.
In accordance with undertakings made by the Registrant in the Registration Statements to remove from registration, by means of a post-effective amendment, any of the securities that were registered for issuance that remain unsold at the termination of the offering, the Registrant hereby removes from registration all of such securities of the Registrant registered but unsold under the Registration Statements.
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