FiercePharma | Eric Sagonowsky
The pharma industry is always
in flux, but the big names always turn up near the top of yearly sales
rankings. This year is no different, with Johnson & Johnson, Roche,
Pfizer, Novartis and Merck & Co. taking the top 5 spots in Big Pharma
companies by 2018 sales.
In fact, the top 15 names
are the same against prior year rankings, but the order has
shifted. Last year’s No. 5, Sanofi, slipped to No. 7 as its sales sank
almost 2% year over year. Gilead Sciences, famously under hepatitis C pricing
pressure for years, sank even farther in 2018, slipping three positions to
No. 13.
On the flip side,
Bristol-Myers Squibb climbed from No. 15 to No. 12. And if the company scores
its massive Celgene buyout, it’ll be even higher next year. Adding Celgene’s
$15 billion in 2018 revenue would have given BMS nearly $38 billion in annual
sales, ranking it among the top 10 pharma companies by annual sales
And next year’s ranking will
see at least one entirely new entrant in Takeda. The Japanese biopharma
recently scooped up Shire but hasn't released its combined financials for
2018 to make it eligible for the rankings.