Alcon incorporated and with corporate headquarters, in Hünenberg, Switzerland, is a global medical company specializing in eye care products. Alcon's U.S. headquarters is located in Fort Worth, Texas. Alcon has been purchased by Novartis from Nestlé and there have been confirmed information indicating high likelihood that Alcon will soon also be merged with the new parent company.

Alcon was founded in 1945 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The company started as a small pharmacy in Fort Worth and was named for its founders, pharmacists Robert Alexander and William Conner. Conner and Alexander focused on sterile ophthalmic products, which no other company specialized in at the time^{[citation needed]}and built their business by researching eye care products that would reduce contamination and increase safety.

Nestlé of Switzerland purchased Alcon in 1977. This was during a time of rapid growth for Nestlé and was their first venture into the pharmaceutical industry. Alcon expanded its manufacturing capability with new plants in South America and Europe and drastically increased its investment in research. In 1979, Alcon acquired Texas Pharmacal Company which became Dermatological Products of Texas (and is now DPT Labs). In 1984, Alcon founded the Technical Excellence Award to promote achievements in R&D excellence and has proudly extended the award to more than 100 recipients. In the 80s and 90s, Alcon continued to grow and became the largest and most profitable ophthalmic company in the world^{[citation needed]}. The Alcon product line has expanded from pharmaceuticals to the surgical arena. The Acrysof intraocular lens is the most commonly used implant in cataract surgery worldwide^{[citation needed]}. Today, Alcon has operations in 75 countries and their products are sold in over 180 countries. Alcon employs nearly 15,000 employees worldwide.^{[citation needed]}