The most prescribed drugs in the United States

Who are the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world?

Some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies have played a central role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it is probably not surprising that the pandemic has also been formidable for many healthcare companies. In fact, in 2020 alone, the world’s 50 largest pharmaceutical companies have yet combined for a huge $ 851 billion in income.

In this graph, using data from Market capitalization of companies, we list the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies by market capitalization. It should be noted that this list also includes healthcare companies that work closely with pharmaceuticals including biotechnology, pharmaceutical retailers, clinical labs, etc.

Editor’s note: Some key companies like GSK and AbbVie were missing in a previous version of this chart. They were unfortunately not included in the original source and we are now working to ensure that there are no other smaller omissions. Thanks to everyone who sent in corrections.

Pharmaceutical leaders

For starters, here are the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world right now by market cap:

1. Johnson & Johnson

The pharmaceutical and consumer goods giant is worth $ 428.7 billion in market capitalization. They developed the third vaccine authorized in the United States and were named among the TIME100 List of the most influential companies in 2021.

2. Rock

The Swiss pharmaceutical giant is at the forefront of oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience. In 2019, the pharmaceutical segment of Roche sales increased from 16% in good health to $ 53 billion.

3. Pfizer

Despite being the leading manufacturer of COVID-19 vaccines in North America, Pfizer has slipped in the rankings to third place. The company recently gained momentum, in particular during the last quarter, with a turnover in Q2’2021 of $ 19.0 billion, reflecting operational growth of 86% compared to 2020.

4. Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly has taken an important step towards establishing itself as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Have a market capitalization value of $ 125 billion in 2019, Eli Lilly jumped to a present value of $ 214.9 billion, a significant growth of 72%.

5. Novartis

The second largest pharmaceutical company in Switzerland, Novartis has been the face of the pharmaceutical industry for around 25 years. The leading manufacturer of the most recognizable drugs on the market achieved sales of over 48 billion dollars in 2020, an increase of 3% compared to 2019.

Here’s how all of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies stack up:

The world’s largest exporters and importers of pharmaceuticals

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), these countries exported the highest number of pharmaceutical products in 2019:

On the other hand, here are the biggest importers over the same period.

This position is hardly surprising for the United States, where six of the world’s 10 largest pharmaceutical companies are located. The country also captures 45% of the world market.

The future of pharmaceutical companies

If the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that in building a patient-centered future, the pharmaceutical industry plays a key role. He must constantly find new ways to personalize drugs while researching and developing new tools and drugs.

Kissing disruptive technologies like 3D printed drugs, artificial intelligence guided therapies and preventative medicine while working with regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies will benefit from a digital revolution.

In addition, emerging markets will have a greater influence on the global pharmaceutical market in the years to come. Even though the “big pharmaceutical companies” will continue to rake in the huge profits they make each year, their dependence on countries like Brazil and India for drug research and production will have a significant impact on people. years to come.