Novartis AG (NVS) Chief Executive Daniel Vasella Thursday said the Swiss drugmaker hopes to buy a 52% stake in U.S. eyecare maker Alcon Inc. (ACL) from food giant Nestle SA (NESN.VX).

"Hopefully we will buy the remaining stake from Nestle - the future will tell," Vasella, speaking from New York, said on financial broadcaster CNBC.

Vasella deflected questions about potential deals amid major ones in the pharmaceutical industry such as Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX) $46.8 billion takeover of Genentech Inc. (DNA), pointing to the purchase of an Alcon minority stake last April.

Broadcaster Web site: www.cnbc.com

-By Katharina Bart, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 43 443 8043; katharina.bart@dowjones.com