The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, manage, sell and finance participations in companies in Switzerland and abroad. Furthermore, the company's purpose is to carry out all activities related to research, development of therapeutic solutions for the treatment of communicable or non-communicable diseases and marketing of drug candidates, which are mainly used in the field of human health. The company may establish branches in Switzerland and abroad, participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, take over representations and conclude all transactions and contracts that are connected with the company's purpose or are suitable to promote it directly or indirectly, or which concern the investment and management of the company's assets. The company may acquire, encumber, sell and manage intellectual property rights as well as real estate in Switzerland and abroad. The company may also provide direct or indirect financing to its direct or indirect subsidiaries and third parties, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, and provide collateral of any kind for its own liabilities and those of other companies (including its direct or indirect subsidiaries and third parties, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries), including pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether remunerated or not. Furthermore, it may operate a liquidity adjustment/concentration of net liquidity (cash pooling) with the aforementioned companies or join such a system, including periodic account settlement (zero balancing). This also applies to preferential conditions without interest, excluding the company's profit motive and assuming cluster risks.