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Novartis International AG / Launch of Alcon Experience Academy Reinforces Commitment to Training and Education for Eye Care Professionals . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Alcon Experience Academy serves as umbrella for industry-leading training and educational resources for all eye care professionals
• New website houses a robust library of more than 500 videos, including webcasts and personalized curricula
• Trainings offer online and hands-on experiential learning opportunities at Alcon Experience Centers around the globe

FORT WORTH, Texas, September 17, 2018 - Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, is expanding its extensive, global support of eye care professionals through the unveiling of the Alcon Experience Academy. The robust program offers face-to-face training and online educational resources by leading specialists from around the world to provide the best patient care possible. As part of this effort, Alcon is launching a new online portal today, AlconExperienceAcademy.com, which houses a growing library of educational materials for healthcare practitioners who engage with the eye, including eye care professionals, nurses, technicians and students.

"The Alcon Experience Academy underscores our dedication to the continuous education of the eye health community by offering opportunities to discover the latest advancements in ophthalmic technology at global Alcon Experience Centers, or within their own practices," said David Endicott, CEO, Alcon. "Through our industry-leading educational resources, we are fully committed to providing best-in-class training to help shape the future of eye care and to provide opportunities for the best-possible patient outcomes."

The new website includes a robust library of more than 500 training videos, with additional content added regularly to an easy-to-navigate home screen. It will also feature webcasts developed by leading eye care specialists from around the world, along with personalized videos and curricula across several disease states and focus areas. The website materials primarily focus on real-world surgical case studies using the latest innovations in eye care. Resources specific to optometry are due to be released early next year.

Training is a hallmark of Alcon's commitment to eye care professionals, with thousands receiving hands-on experience every year on the latest advancements in ophthalmology and optometry. Through state-of-the art Alcon Experience Centers, along with virtual reality experiences and the new AlconExperienceAcademy.com website, Alcon is making immersive training and education accessible at the convenience of eye care professionals around the world.

"Alcon has built an extraordinary educational resource with detailed information about surgical techniques relevant to both novice and advanced surgeons," said Dr. Steve Charles, Charles Retina Institute, Germantown, Tenn. "The content is comprehensive, addressing the needs of retina, cataract, refractive and glaucoma surgeons as well as their team members. The site is user-friendly and provides a streamlined experience to support my team in providing the best patient care possible."

The Alcon Experience Academy builds upon Alcon's industry leadership and long-standing commitment to contributing to the worldwide body of knowledge and development of innovative tools in an effort to eradicate eye diseases. Alcon offers six Alcon Experience Centers around the globe, along with 26 training centers and 42 wet labs, providing eye care professionals with state-of-the-art, comprehensive eye health education, hands-on experiential learning opportunities and cutting-edge virtual reality technology for an immersive training experience. Alcon Experience Centers can be found in the United States (Fort Worth, Texas), Spain (Barcelona), Japan (Tokyo and Osaka), Australia (Sydney), Colombia (Bogotá), and soon to be in Brazil (São Paulo) and China (Beijing).

About Alcon Experience Academy
The Alcon Experience Academy is the umbrella for Alcon's industry-leading training for eye care professionals, supporting staff, residents and students - whether in person, online or through other hands-on experiential learning opportunities. The Alcon Experience Academy offers thousands of courses every year, including immersive virtual reality training and education courses, online and at Alcon Experience Centers worldwide. The Alcon Experience Academy website provides training and education resources on disease states, as well as the latest advancements in techniques and approaches for the safe and effective use of Alcon technology. For more information and to register, please visit AlconExperienceAcademy.com. 

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Alcon
Alcon is the global leader in eye care. As a division of Novartis, we offer the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people's lives. Our products touch the lives of more than 260 million people each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors, and there are millions more who are waiting for solutions to meet their eye care needs. Our purpose is reimagining eye care, and we do this through innovative products, partnerships with eye care professionals and programs that enhance access to quality eye care. Learn more at www.alcon.com.

Alcon is on Facebook. Like us at www.facebook.com/AlconEyeCare.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 1 billion people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 125 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.

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