Pfizer Leads Top 10 Global Pharmaceutical Companies for 2018

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Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources, Incorporated (Sugar Land, Texas)--On track to reach a reported $1.2 trillion in product sales by 2022, the global Pharmaceutical Industry's path is a convoluted one. With compound annual growth rates ranging from .05% to near double digits, much depends on which product sector and or region is being considered. While the general consensus is that the most growth is expected from evolving markets such as China and India, the American and European markets still dominate. So, it is no surprise that the top 10 pharmaceutical companies are headquartered in these regions. At least for now.

When considering the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world, there are a number of variables from which to choose. In this case, the deciding factor was the company's annual pharmaceutical revenue. The rankings have remained fairly steady from past years, with some jockeying for place both at the very top and the bottom.

Top 10 Pharmaceutical Company Rankings by 2017 Sales Revenue
	Company->	Total Revenue 2017->	Market Cap *->	2017 Top Drug->	Sales
		(US$billions)	(US$billions)		(US$billions)
1	Pfizer	52.5	216.6	Prevnar (Pneumococcal Vaccine)	5.6
2	Novartis	49.5	195.5	Gilenya (Multiple Scleroris)	3.1
3	Roche**	43.5	215.3	Rituxan (Multiple Sclerosis)	7.9
4	Merck & Co.	40.1	153.5	Januvia (Diabetes)	5.9
5	Sanofi	43.2	108.5	Lantus (Diabetes)	5.5
6	Johnson & Johnson**	36.3	377.6	Remicade (Rheumatoid Arthritis)	6.3
7	GlaxoSmithKline	30.2	88.15	Advair/Seretide (Astham/COPD)	4.3
8	AbbVie	28.2	156.59	Humira (Rheumatoid Arthritis)	18.4
9	Bayer	25.7	84.77	Xarelto (Anticoagulant)	4.4
10	Eli Lilly	22.9	84.66	Humalog (Diabetes)	2.9
					2.9
	**pharma sales		*Dec 2017
	Sources: SEC filings and annual reports

Barring a catastrophic failure, Pfizer Incorporated (NYSE:PFE) (New York, New York), Novartis International AG (NYSE:NVS) (Basel, Switzerland) and Hoffman La-Roche AG (Basel) are expected to remain at the top. Perhaps swapping ranking of the top three positions, the three currently are playing with rather slim margins. There are other issues the industry is facing that could or even will eventually impact a company's inclusion or placement on the list in years to come.

There are factors that score a direct hit on revenue. In the case of the top players, it is the loss of key patents for blockbusters. In September 2017, AbbVie Incorporated (NYSE:ABBV) (Lake Bluff, Illinois) forecast its flagship drug Humira (psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment) would generate $21 billion in sales by 2020. Humira is the world's top prescription drug and through various legal maneuvers, AbbVie's hold on the drug will remain shielded by patent protection through at least 2023. In the meantime, the drug accounts for approximately 60% of Abbvie's total revenue.

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