In 2016 the combined revenues of the Top 25 Pharma & Biopharma Companies profiled in our report hit the $600 billion mark—$602.3 billion to be precise. This was up nearly $20 billion from the previous year’s combined sales of $583 billion.

Other than Sanofi sliding three spots from 3 to 6, which made way for GSK’s move into the top 5, only minor shifts occurred atop the leader board.  Results in the middle of the pack were pretty much status quo, as well. Bayer made the furtherest leap ahead in the ranks from 19 last year up four spots to 15, driven by sales of Xarelto and Eylea. Biggest fall off: Takeda dropped from 16 to 19, as the Japanese drug maker launched a new U.S. strategy during the year.

At the bottom of the pack, Otsuka fell furthest from 21 to 25, while the biggest splash of the year came from Irish drug maker Shire, which launched itself into the Top 25 companies after it bought American pharma firm Baxalta at the beginning of 2016. Look for Shire to continue to move up the ranks in the coming years as the mega $32 billion deal created a leading global biotech projected to generate over $20 billion in annual revenues by 2020.

Tim Wright, Editor
twright@rodmanmedia.com


01. Pfizer $52,824
02. Novartis $48,518
03. Merck & Co. $39,807
04. Roche $38,369
05. GlaxoSmithKline $37,929
06. Sanofi $35,633
07. Johnson & Johnson $33,464
08. Gilead $30,390
09. AbbVie $25,638
10. AstraZeneca $23,002
11. Amgen $22,991
12. Teva $21,903
13. Eli Lilly & Co. $21,222
14. Bristol-Myers Squibb $19,427
15. Bayer $17,300
16. Boehringer Ingelheim $16,699
17. Novo Nordisk $15,841
18. Merck KGaA $15,828
19. Takeda $15,565
20. Allergan $14,570
21. Biogen $11,449
22. Shire $11,397
23. Celgene $11,229
24. Mylan $11,077
25. Otsuka $10,240


Contributors

Editor: Tim Wright
Associate Editor: Kristin Brooks

All profiles compiled by Tim Wright, except Gilead, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Biogen, Celgene and Otsuka, by Kristin Brooks Pipeline/revenue information compiled by Kristin Brooks

*Profile information is sourced from each company’s annual report along with press releases distributed throughout the year. Pharma/biopharmaceutical sales are the primary factor in the rankings, however results may include animal heath sales where applicable and other smaller division sales. Large medical device, diagnostics, and consumer care division revenues have been excluded from the rankings.