What are the Top 15 Pharmaceutical Companies in the World in 2022 ranked by revenue from pharmaceutical drug sales?
By: Donagh Fitzgerald and Claire Wilson. Last Updated: March 2022
The Industry has again shown strong growth in 2021 with worldwide revenue of around 1.4 Trillion US Dollars.
Here is a list of the top 15 world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in the world based on 2021 pharmaceutical drug sales revenue.
15. Novo Nordisk (Denmark) – $21.00 billion
14. Gilead Sciences (US) – $24.70 billion
13. Amgen Inc (US) – $26.00 billion
12. Takeda (Japan) – $26.28 billion
11. Eli Lilly (US) – $28.30 billion
10. GlaxoSmithKline plc (UK) – $32.10 billion
9. Sanofi S.A. (France) – $36.55 billion
8. AstraZeneca plc (UK) – $37.4 billion
7. Merck & Co., Inc (US) – $42.74 billion
6. Bristol-Myers Squibb (US) – $46.4 billion
5. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland) – $48.47 billion
4. Novartis International AG (Switzerland) – $51.60 billion
3. Johnson & Johnson (US) – $52.80 billion
2. AbbVie Inc (US) – $56.20 billion
1. Pfizer Inc (US) – $81.30 billion
Last Updated: March 2022
Highlights:
- Pfizer regains the No.1 position with sales of its Covid 19 vaccine skyrocketing to almost $37.00 billion USD in 2021 pushing its annual revenue from $41.70 billion in 2020 to over 81.3 billion in 2021.
- Abbvie jumps to No.2. It completed its acquisition of Allergan in 2020 which helped boost its revenue from $33.20 billion in 2019 to $56.2 billion in 2021.
- Astra Zeneca jumps to No.8 after it completed its acquisition of the speciality drugmaker Alexion in 2021 which significantly boosted its annual revenue.
15. Novo Nordisk (Denmark)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $21.00 billion
Total Revenue: $21.00 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $2.6 billion
Number of Employees: 48,478
Revenue Per Employee: $433,000
Novo Nordisk is a Danish pharmaceutical company founded in 1923, with global headquarters in the Danish town of Bagsvaerd. Its key products are diabetes care medication. Over 29 million patients use their products and the company produces almost 50% of the world’s insulin.
Ref: Novo Nordisk Annual Report 2021
14. Gilead Sciences (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $24.70 billion
Total Revenue: $24.70 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $5.0 billion
Number of Employees: 13,600
Revenue Per Employee: $1,816,000
Gilead was founded in 1987 in California, US and since then, has grown to become one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. They are a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines. Gilead Sciences focused on virology, hepatology, haematology, oncology, cardiovascular, inflammation and respiratory diseases.
13. Amgen Inc (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $26.00 billion
Total Revenue: $26.00 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $4.80 billion
Number of Employees: 24,300
Revenue Per Employee: $1,068,000
Amgen Inc. is an American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in California, United States and is one of the world’s largest independent biotechnology firm. In 2013, the company’s largest selling product lines were Neulasta/Neupogen, two closely related drugs used to prevent infections in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy; and Enbrel, a tumor necrosis factor blocker used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Other products include Epogen, Aranesp, Sensipar/Mimpara, Nplate, Vectibix, Prolia and XGEVA.
12. Takeda (Japan)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $26.28 billion
Total Revenue: $26.28 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $3.75 billion
Number of Employees: 47,099
Revenue Per Employee: $555,000
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company and one of the top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world by revenue (following the merger with Shire). The company is focused on metabolic disorders, gastroenterology, neurology, inflammation, as well as oncology through its independent subsidiary, Takeda Oncology.
11. Eli Lilly (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $28.30 billion
Total Revenue: $28.30 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $7.02 billion
Number of Employees: 34,914
Revenue Per Employee: $793,000
Eli Lilly is an American global pharmaceutical company. It was founded by Eli Lilly in 1876 and has its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. The world owes Lilly for the first mass-production of Penicillin, Salk Polio vaccine and insulin and is the largest producer and distributor of psychiatric medications in the world. Other drugs produced by Lilly are namely Arzoxifine, Efient, Olanzapine, etc.
10. GlaxoSmithKline plc (UK)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $32.10 billion
Total Revenue: $44.75 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 72%
Estimated R&D Spend: $6.26 billion
Number of Employees: 90,000
Revenue Per Employee: $497,000
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a multinational company based in the United Kingdom dealing in the fields of pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare. GSK was formed by the merger of Glaxo Wellcome plc and SmithKline Beecham plc in 2000. It manufactures products for various diseases including mental health, diabetes, asthma, cancer, virus control, etc. GSK also manufactures nutritional products, drinks, and other healthcare goods like Horlicks, Sensodyne, Boost, etc. Its top-selling drug is Advair and is used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder treatment.
9. Sanofi S.A. (France)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug and Vaccine Sales: $36.55 billion
Total Revenue: $42.5 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Drug Sales: 88%
Estimated R&D Spend: $6.25 billion
Number of Employees: 99,400
Revenue Per Employee: $424,000
Sanofi-Aventis, is a French multinational pharmaceutical company with its headquarters located in Paris, France. It conducts research and development and manufactures pharmaceutical products sold primarily in the prescription market. Over-the-counter medicines are also developed by the company. Various drugs manufactured by the company include Aflibercept, Jevtana, Humenza vaccine, Iniparib and Otamixaban. Sanofi-Aventis was formed in 2004 by the merger of Aventis and Sanofi-Synthélabo and later in 2011 changed the name to Sanofi.
8. AstraZeneca plc (UK)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $37.4 billion
Total Revenue: $37.4 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $7.8 billion
Number of Employees: 83,100
Revenue Per Employee: $450,000
AstraZeneca plc was founded in 1999, through the merger of the Sweden-based Astra AB and the UK-based Zeneca Group, is a Swedish-British multinational pharmaceutical and biologics company. It specializes in prescriptive medicines including Carbocaine, Naropin, Betaloc, Zestril, Lexinor, Cubicin, Zomig, Tomudex, and a variety of other medicines in the areas of oncology, neuroscience, gastrointestinal, etc. The acid reflux medication called Nexium is its leading product. It is also the manufacturer of drugs for cholesterol treatment called Crestor and an antipsychotic drug called Seroquel. Astra Zeneca completed its acquisition of the speciality drugmaker Alexion in 2021 which has significantly boosted its annual revenue.
7. Merck & Co., Inc (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $42.74 billion
Total Revenue: $48.74 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 87%
Estimated R&D Spend: $12.24 billion
Number of Employees: 68,000
Revenue Per Employee: $716,000
Merck & Co., Inc is an American pharmaceutical company with its headquarters located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Kenneth Frazier is the chairman, president and CEO of the company and it was founded in 1891 as a subsidiary of Merck KGaA. It came out as an independent company in 1917 after being taken over by US Government during World War I.
6. Bristol-Myers Squibb (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $46.4 billion
Total Revenue: $46.4 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $11.3 billion
Number of Employees: 32,050
Revenue Per Employee: $1,450,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb was formed in 1989 through the merger of the Squibb Corporation and Bristol Myers and Company. Today, it has its headquarters in New York City, US and produces pharmaceuticals and biologics for the treatment of a number of conditions including HIV and hepatitis. They were also one of the first companies to begin research and development into anti-cancer drugs in the 1970s.
5. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $48.47 billion
Total Revenue: $67.2 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 72%
Estimated R&D Spend: $14.6 billion
Number of Employees: 101,000
Revenue Per Employee: $665,000
Hoffmann-La Roche is a Swiss global healthcare company founded by Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche after whom the company is named, in 1896. Its headquarters is located in Basel, Switzerland. Other companies owned by Roche are Genentech, Chugai pharmaceuticals and Ventana. It was the first company to produce synthetic vitamin C at a large scale under the brand name of Redoxon. Its leading drug is Herceptin a medication for breast cancer. The various drugs produced by Roche include Accutane, Bactrium, Cellcept, Herceptin, Invirase, Tamiflu, Rohypnol, etc. It also manufactures a range of Diabetes management products under the brand name Accu-check.
4. Novartis International AG (Switzerland)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $51.60 billion
Total Revenue: $51.6 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $9.54 billion
Number of Employees: 108,000
Revenue Per Employee: $477,000
Novartis International AG, a multinational pharmaceutical company is based in Basel, Switzerland. Novartis has been on the face of the pharmaceutical industry for about 250 years owing to its formation by the merger of Swiss companies Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz Laboratories in 1996. Novartis produces a range of products including vaccines, contact lenses, over-the-counter drugs, veterinary medicines, etc. Novartis is a manufacturer of drugs including Clozapine, Diclofenac, Carbamazepine, Valsartan (Diovan) and Glivec.
3. Johnson & Johnson (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $52.80 billion
Total Revenue: $93.77 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 56%
Estimated R&D Spend: $14.70 billion
Number of Employees: 141,700
Revenue Per Employee: $662,000
Johnson & Johnson is a US-based multinational company that manufactures medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer packaged goods. It was founded in 1886 by Robert wood Johnson I, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson. The Company’s headquarters is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Johnson & Johnson is a leading name in many household items like Johnson & Johnson baby products, Neutrogena skin and beauty products, Band-Aid, Clean and clear facewashes, etc. The other drugs manufactured by it are Bapineuzumab, Ceftobiprole, Dacogen, Procrit, Rivaroxaban, Topamax, etc.
2. AbbVie Inc (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $56.20 billion
Total Revenue: $56.20 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $7.08 billion
Number of Employees: 48,000
Revenue Per Employee: $1,170,000
AbbVie is an American biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 and was formed when Abbott Laboratories announced its plan to separate into two publicly traded companies. It was decided that the “new” Abbott Laboratories would specialize in diversified products including medical devices, diagnostic equipment and nutrition products, while AbbVie would operate as a research-based pharmaceutical manufacturer that specialises in making small molecule drugs for patients worldwide. Abbvie completed its acquisition of Allergan in 2020 which helped boost its revenue from 33.2 billion in 2019 to 56.2 billion in 2021.
The company focuses on therapy areas such as dermatology, oncology, neurological disorders and metabolic diseases.
AbbVie’s most well known for its rheumatoid arthritis med Humira along with Imbruvica, Lupron, Veikira and Synthroid.
1. Pfizer Inc (US)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $81.3 billion
Total Revenue: $81.3 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 100%
Estimated R&D Spend: $13.8 billion
Number of Employees: 78,500
Revenue Per Employee: $1,035,000
Pfizer is the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company. Its research headquarters are located in Groton, Connecticut, America. Pfizer has developed many medicines and vaccines like Sutent, Zithromax, apixaban, Macugen, Lyrica, latreperdine, etc. in the areas of oncology, infections and infestations, cardiology, ophthalmology, neurology and psychiatry. Its top-selling product is its Covid 19 vaccine, Comirnaty with sales skyrocketing to almost 37 billion USD in 2021 helping push Pfizer’s annual revenue from 41.7 billion in 2020 to over 81.3 billion in 2021. The company was founded in 1849 in New York City by cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart.
Methodology:
- We focused only on the revenue from the pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing portion of each company’s business portfolio (as stated in its annual financial report) and have excluded revenue from other divisions such as medical device, diagnostic, animal health, crop science, etc.
- All revenue numbers were normalised to US dollars based on the exchange rates on March 29th, 2020.
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15. Bayer AG (Germany)
Revenue from Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: $20.17 billion
Total Revenue: $47.30 billion
Percent of Revenue From Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: 41%
Estimated R&D Spend: $5.95 billion
Number of Employees: 99,637
Revenue Per Employee: $474,000
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About the Authors
Donagh Fitzgerald
Head of Marketing & Product Development
Mechanical/Production Engineer
Donagh looks after the marketing and product development including the training and pedagogical elements of our programs and makes sure that all GetReskilled’s users can have a great online learning experience. Donagh has lived and worked in many countries including Ireland, America, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan where he managed to pick up the language. Donagh has also served as the Program Manager for the Farmleigh Fellowship based out of Singapore.
Donagh holds Degrees in Production Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from South East Technological University, Ireland.
Claire Wilson
Content Marketing and Career Coaching
Claire runs GetReskilled’s Advanced Career Coaching Programme – our specially devised job hunting course that helps our trainees take that final step into employment by leading them through the job hunting process. She is extremely enthusiastic about helping people reach their final goal of employment in their new career path.
Claire has a BSc (Hons) in Medical Biology from Edinburgh University and spent 7 years working in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.