Top 10: Pharma Companies
10 Novo Nordisk
Revenue: 177bn Danish Kroner (about $26bn)
CEO: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen
HQ: Bagsværd, Denmark
Danish pharma Novo Nordisk has for more than 100 years been meeting the medical needs of people living with a serious chronic disease. Its specialist treatments benefit millions of people globally who live with diabetes, obesity, and rare blood and endocrine diseases.
It produces 50% of the world’s insulin supply, including over 600 million insulin pens, and an estimated 36 million people use the company’s diabetes care products.
09 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Revenue: £29.3bn (about $37bn)
CEO: Emma Walmsley
HQ: Brentford, England
UK-based company GSK We is a world leader in next-generation HIV treatment and prevention. It pioneered the first HIV treatments in the 1980s and leads the way in changing the landscape for people living with HIV today.
In 2023, GSK beat market estimates as it completed a first full year since spinning off its consumer health business, Haleon.
Its CEO Emma Walmsley, who took up the role in 2017, has been central to the company honing its focus on vaccines and infectious diseases, and shifting its HIV focus to prevention therapies.
08 AstraZeneca
Revenue: $44.8bn
CEO: Pascal Soriot
HQ: Cambridge, England
Oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, and respiratory diseases are among AstraZeneca’s areas of speciality. Leading products include Tagrisso for lung cancer and Farxiga for diabetes and heart failure.
The company is currently expanding its presence in China and investing in mRNA technology for vaccine development.
07 Sanofi
Revenue: €43bn (about $47bn)
CEO: Paul Hudson
HQ: Paris, France
Sanofi specialises in vaccines, rare diseases, and general medicines. Key products include Dupixent for atopic dermatitis and asthma, and Lantus for diabetes. Sanofi is currently focusing on expanding its immunology portfolio and developing new mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.
06 Merck & Co
Revenue: $59.8bn
Executive Chair & CEO: Belén Garijo
HQ: New Jersey, US
Merck KGaA was founded in Darmstadt in 1668 as a pharmacy, and is the world's oldest operating chemical and pharmaceutical company. It expanded into industrial-scale production in the 19th century.
The company operates in healthcare, life science, and electronics, with key pharmaceutical products including Mavenclad for multiple sclerosis and Erbitux for certain types of cancer.
Merck is currently expanding its immuno-oncology portfolio and investing in new technologies for drug discovery.
05 Novartis
Revenue: $51.4bn
CEO: Vasant Narasimhan
HQ: Basel, Switzerland
Basle-based Novartis focuses on innovative medicines and generics. Leading products include Cosentyx for psoriasis and Entresto for heart failure.
Novartis is currently investing in cell and gene therapies and expanding its presence in emerging markets, including China, India, Turkey and Brazil.
04 Bayer
Revenue: €50.7bn ($55bn)
CEO: Bill Anderson
HQ: Leverkusen, Germany
Bayer, headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, operates in pharmaceuticals, consumer health, and crop science. Key pharmaceutical products include Xarelto for blood clot prevention and Eylea for eye diseases. Bayer is currently focusing on expanding its cell and gene therapy capabilities and developing new cancer treatments.
03 Roche
Revenue: 63.3bn Swiss Francs (about $71bn)
CEO: Thomas Schinecker
HQ: Basel, Switzerland
Roche, founded in 1896, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics.
Roche has grown into one of the world’s largest biotech companies, and is a leading provider of in-vitro diagnostics and a global supplier of transformative innovative solutions across major disease areas, and is the world's leading provider of cancer treatments. “Our commitment to our people, partners, stakeholders and, most importantly, patients remains as strong as it was on the first day of our journey,” the company says.
Johnson & Johnson
Revenue: $82.6bn
CEO: Joaquin Duato
HQ: New Jersey, US
J&J is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive healthcare companies, operating in 60 countries and selling products in 175. In 2023 it reported revenues exceeding US$94bn.
In its 2023 Health for Humanity report, J&J reveals a host of improvements in its sustainability performance, supply chain management and health treatments.
J&J says it is focusing energy on deploying advanced digital technologies to modernise healthcare and advance sustainability through environmental efficiencies.
01 Pfizer
Revenue: $100.3bn
CEO: Albert Bourla
HQ: New York City
Pfizer was founded in 1849 in New York by German entrepreneur Charles Pfizer, and now employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Pfizer's product line-up includes the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty, breast cancer drug Ibrance, and blood thinner Eliquis. Comirnaty has been Pfizer's most profitable product in recent years.
The firm focuses on oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. Pfizer expanded its vaccine capabilities through the $11bn acquisition of Seagen in 2023. The company continues to invest in research and development across its therapeutic areas
