Novartis has hired Credit Suisse First Boston to advise it on the €220m ($259.4m) sale of its dietary food assets to ABN Amro Capital France, handing the investment bank its first mergers and acquisitions mandate for the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant in nearly two years.

The deal is CSFB's first mandate from Novartis since it advised it on the acquisition of Bristol Myers Squibb's adult medical nutrition business for $385m (€325.7m) in December 2003, according to Dealogic, the data provider.