Global Biopharma Companies Top Forbes' List of World's Best Employers

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Forbes came out with its ranking of the World’s Best Employers 2018, with Alphabet, Google’s umbrella company, ranking at the very top worldwide. A number of global biopharmaceutical companies ranked high on the list. Here’s the top 10 in that category.

#1. Celgene. Ranked at #9. Headquartered in Summit, NJ, Celgene focuses primarily on cancer and inflammatory diseases. Its top products include Revlimid, Vidaza, Thalomid, Pomalyst/Imnovid, Abraxane, and Istodax. The company recently presented data from its Phase III SUNBEAM and RADIANCE Part B clinical trials evaluating its Ozanimod compared to Biogen’s Avonex in relapsing multiple sclerosis at the 34th Congress of the European Committee for the Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) conference. In the areas evaluated, Ozanimod had an edge of over Avonex.

#2. Biogen. Coming in at #51 on the list, Biogen, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., focuses on drugs for neurological, autoimmune and hematologic disorders. Its products include Avonex, Plegridy, Tecfidera and many others. The company presented new interim data from NURTURE, a study of Spinraza in 25 presymptomatic infants with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). “The NURTURE study results demonstrate that early diagnosis and treatment with Spinraza has the potential to dramatically change the course of SMA,” stated Wildon Farwell, senior medical director, clinical development at Biogen.

#3. Johnson & Johnson. Coming in at #123, J&J has three major business segments, Consumer, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices. In addition to making the Forbes Best Employer list, it recently made the 2018 Working Mother 100 Best Companies List for the 33rd year in a row. Both moms and dads are guaranteed eight weeks of paid leave after a child’s birth or adoption, and moms in the U.S. can have up to 17 weeks of paid leave after giving birth. They can take up to a year of leave without pay. The company also offers adoption assistance benefits up to $20,000 as well as fertility treatment benefits up to $35,000.

#4. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. This Indian company ranked #172. Sun Pharma manufactures and markets pharmaceutical ingredients in India, the U.S. and several other global markets. It handles product development, process chemistry, and manufacturing of complex API, in addition to dosage forms.

#5. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical. This Chinese company ranked #180. Shanghai Fosun develops, manufactures and sells pharma products and medical equipment. Its pharma products are in the areas of cardiovascular, oncology, CNS, blood, metabolism, digestive and anti-infectives.

#6. Gilead Sciences. Gilead came in at #191. Gilead’s products include treatments for HIV/AIDS, liver diseases, cancer, inflammatory and respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular conditions. On October 3, the company released 96-week results from a Phase III study of Biktarvy for HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve adults. “This study underscores the role of Biktarvy as a first-line treatment option for appropriate adults living with HIV who are new to therapy,” stated David Wohl, professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and lead study author.

#7. Abbott Laboratories. Abbott came in #202 on the list. Abbott has several segments, including Pharmaceutical Products, Nutritional Products, Diagnostic Products, and Vascular Products. Its Established Pharmaceutical Products division covers international sales of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

#8. Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine. China’s Jiangsu Hengrui ranked #232. The company manufactures and sells pharmaceutical and health food products. In addition to that, it manufactures and sells SP aluminum foil, PTP aluminum foil, OP protection preparation and VC adhesive.

#9. Roche. The Swiss company, which includes Genentech, ranked at #277. It handles both diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, with entries in oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and neurosciences. Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the company’s Hemlibra for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and children with hemophilia A without factor VIII inhibitors.

#10. Amgen. Based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Amgen ranked #288. On October 1, the FDA approved the company’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to expand prescribing information for Kyprolis in combination with dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

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