Small Town Marriage

'Believe me, what is a short walk between our two headquarters is a big step for the new company,' said Alex Krauer, future chairman of Novartis, to a gathering of analysts in London on March 8. 'To combine two strong and successful companies as a merger of equals into an even stronger and more successful new entity represents a fascinating vision indeed.' That 'fascinating vision' had already been given a round of applause by the financial community the previous day, when it was announced