What are the 10 Pharma and Med Device Companies in the USA?
The USA is the largest single market for pharmaceutical products in the world – accounting for approximately 47% of world pharmaceutical sales according to statista.com. In 2019, that figure equated to approximately $491 billion.
These strong sales have contributed to the growth of a huge industry within the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors in the US. Select USA, a federal level initiative tasked with “attracting investment, increasing employment”, estimates that over 800,000 people currently work directly in the US biopharmaceutical industry with over 37% of those working in manufacturing alone.
In addition, up to 4.7 million jobs are supported by the sector across the country and the industry as a whole contributes a staggering $1.3 trillion in economic output.
So let’s take a closer look at the top 10 pharmaceutical and medical device companies in the United States.
Abbott
Area: Diagnostics, medical devices, generic pharmaceuticals, and nutritionals.
Products You Might Know: The “Freestyle” range of blood glucose monitoring devices, Brufen, Similac. In 2018, Abbott became the first medical device company to introduce a smartphone app glucose reader in the United States.
Brief History: Abbott worldwide was founded in 1888. Today, Abbott employs approximately 107,000 people in over 160 countries, with global sales in 2019 of $31.8 billion. Abbott work in research, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of products. They have several different areas of interest, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, nutrition, and diagnostics.
Presence in the US: Founded in the US, Abbott’s headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois. They have a number of manufacturing sites across the US including in Arizona, Minnesota and Ohio.
Amgen
Area: Biopharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Neupogen, Prolia, Vectibix.
Brief History: Established in 1980, Amgen is one of the world’s largest independent biotechnology companies, currently employing 22,000 worldwide. They were one of the first companies to bring biotechnology-based products to patients and their portfolio today includes treatments in the therapy areas of oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.
Presence in the US: Amgen has its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California and has sites across the country including its new next-generation biomanufacturing plant at West Greenwich, Rhode Island which is due to open in 2022, employing over 200 people.
#Amgen announces Rhode Island will be location of first U.S. next-generation biomanufacturing plant – designed for greater flexibility, speed and efficiency https://t.co/IvVqiupzfk
— Amgen (@Amgen) April 10, 2018
AstraZeneca
Area: Pharmaceuticals and Biologics
Products You Might Know: Symbicort, Crestor, Nexium
Brief History: AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish company and was established from the merging of two well-established pharmaceutical companies in 1999. Today, AstraZeneca employs over 57,000 people worldwide with revenue in 2019 of $24.38 billion. Its main areas of focus are oncology, respiratory, cardiovascular and neuroscience
Presence in the US: Their North American headquarters are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and they have a number of facilities throughout the country. Their biologics production site at Frederick, Maryland, employs 700 people, making it the largest biologics manufacturing facility in the company’s global network. Their facility at Frederick was also named as Frederick County’s Best Place to Work 2019 in the major employer category.
Baxter
Area: Medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology
Products You Might Know: Actifuse, Brevibloc, Suprane
Brief History: Baxter began in the 1930s by launching the first commercially prepared intravenous (IV) solutions. Today, the company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease and immune disorders. In 2019, Baxter reported total sales of $11.36 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide.
Presence in the US: Baxter’s headquarters are located in Deerfield, Illinois. Their 600,00-square-foot BioPharma Solutions facility in Bloomington, Indiana is one of the largest contract manufacturers of sterile products in North America.
Baxter are also regularly listed as one of America’s Best Employers For Diversity.
We’re proud to once again be recognized on this year’s @Forbes “Best Employer for Diversity” list: https://t.co/Te641Hjuq4
— Baxter International (@baxter_intl) January 21, 2020
GlaxoSmithKline
Area: Pharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Advair, Tivicay, Triumeq
Brief History: GSK is one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, describing itself as a ‘science-led global healthcare company’. GSK took its current form in 2000 after a merger between SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome and it ranks as the ninth-biggest pharmaceutical company worldwide based on 2019 revenue. Their products fall into three main areas – vaccines, pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare.
Presence in the US: GSK currently employs over 15,000 people in the US across all 50 states. Their US corporate headquarters are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they have nine manufacturing facilities including at Upper Merion, Pennsylvania which saw an investment of $120 million in 2019.
Johnson & Johnson
Area: Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Tylenol, “Acuvue” brand contact lenses, Xarelto
Brief History: Founded in 1886, Johnson and Johnson is today one of the world’s biggest healthcare companies. Johnson and Johnson operate three distinct divisions – medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer health. Their products are marketed in 57 countries via almost 265 operating companies and their global personnel in 2019 was approximately 132,000.
Presence in the US: Their worldwide headquarters are in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and there are multiple production sites from various related companies across the US. At their site in Titusville, New Jersey, the campus is powered almost solely by solar power with sheep being used to keep the grass mown.
In 2019, Johnson and Johnson were ranked first on Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies List.
#JNJ is proud to earn the #1 spot on @_workingmother_‘s #WM100Best Companies list and announce our Working Mother of the Year, Laura Bueno de Greco! Meet the inspiring mom & learn about J&J’s generous benefits for working families: https://t.co/C3Voqj5DpX pic.twitter.com/VVtMYyYJ9Z
— Johnson & Johnson (@JNJNews) September 24, 2019
Medtronic
Area: Medical devices
Products You Might Know: Revel insulin pump, Micra pacemaker, Sophono hearing device
Brief History: Medtronic began as a medical supply repair shop in the US in 1949 and its first commercial product was a battery-powered, wearable pacemaker. Today there is a focus on using that technology to improve treatment and management of chronic conditions specifically – claiming that “every 3 seconds, another life is improved by a Medtronic product or therapy”. Medtronic currently ranks as the number one in the Top Medical Device Companies in the World based on 2019 revenue.
Presence in the US: Medtronic’s operational headquarters are based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition, they have over 37 R&D facilities, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers across the country including eight in California alone.
2019 saw Medtronic listed in the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the third consecutive year.
Merck & Co
Area: Pharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Fosamax, Singulair, Januvia
Brief History: Merck & Co are the world’s fifth-largest pharmaceutical company based on 2019 revenue, with operations in over 135 countries. They produce a wide range of products including vaccines and prescription medications for disease areas including diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C and osteoporosis.
Presence in the US: Merck & Co has several sites across the US including its headquarters in Kenilworth, New Jersey and one of its newest sites, for vaccine manufacturing, in Durham, North Carolina.
Check out the video below to discover the similarities between a Merck employee’s previous Naval experience and his role now in vaccine manufacturing.
Pfizer
Area: Pharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Advil, Chantix, Lipitor
Brief History: Pfizer was first established in 1849 as a fine-chemicals business in New York and has since grown to become the world’s biggest biopharmaceutical company through both development and acquisition. Pfizer has treatments in many prominent disease areas and therapies in most high-growth markets. In 2019, Pfizer’s global revenue was reported as $51.75 billion.
Presence in the US: Pfizer employs over 40,000 people across the US in more than 20 facilities, with employees in every state. The largest manufacturing site in the Pfizer network is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Sanofi
Area: Pharmaceuticals
Products You Might Know: Lantus, Plavix, Priftin
Brief History: Sanofi has three key business areas – pharmaceuticals, human vaccines and animal health. In 2019, Sanofi was the fourth-largest pharmaceutical company based on worldwide revenue and they currently employ over 110,000 people in more than 100 countries.
Presence in the US: With headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Sanofi US now employs more than 14,000 people throughout the country. Comprised of five business units, they focus on human vaccines, rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular solutions, consumer healthcare, established prescription products and generics.
Sanofi US is also listed as a ‘Best Place to Work’ and has received a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
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About the Author
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.
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