List of the 100 largest pharmaceutical companies Switzerland [2023]

List of the 3 largest pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland

The pharmaceutical sector is one of the most important industries in Switzerland and accounts for a significant share of the country’s exports. Below we present the three largest pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland, which are also among the most important companies in the industry worldwide.

1. Roche Holding AG, Basel

In terms of sales, Roche is not only the largest pharmaceutical company in Switzerland, but also worldwide. Roche was founded in 1896 and has since grown continuously and expanded internationally. The company is particularly strong in the areas of biotechnology, cancer medication and in vitro diagnostics, among others. Billions of euros are invested in research and development to ensure continued innovation and growth.

Update 2023: Roche is forging new paths in Alzheimer’s research and is entering into a partnership with the biotech company Ionis (USA) in this context.

2. Novartis AG, Basel

Also based in Basel is Novartis. Formed from the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, Novartis is also one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. More than 100,000 employees work in the areas of patent-protected drugs, generics, vaccines and diagnostics, over-the-counter drugs, etc. With the Novartis Venture Fund, the Group is also one of the most important early-stage investors in the Life Sciences and BioTech segments.

3. Debiopharm International SA

With sales of CHF 25 billion, Debiopharm is an absolute heavyweight in the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland. The pharmaceutical company is active in drug development and the manufacture of proprietary medicines. Meanwhile, 420 employees contribute to the fact that Debiopharm is one of the absolute global market leaders in these segments and has been able to conclude numerous successful partnerships. Debiopharm is still family-owned. With the Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the company successfully pursues digital health investments.

Picture Source: Pawel Czerwinski

The Swiss pharmaceutical industry at a glance

Swiss pharmaceutical companies such as Roche and Novartis are world market leaders and the Swiss pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important pillars of the Swiss economy. Year after year Swiss exports are led by “chemical-pharmaceutical” products. Next to an industry rich in tradition, pharmaceutical companies find a fertile environment in Switzerland. Leading universities provide a steady supply of talented young scientists. The well-funded investment industry provides necessary capital. The highly developed Swiss healthcare system lends itself to the introduction of new products. In addition, Switzerland is one of the leading stock exchanges for pharmaceutical companies in Europe.

Industries of the largest Swiss drug manufacturers

Pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland are active in various directions. Thus, the following areas represent the main research directions.

Oncology

Cancer research is one of the most important areas of the pharmaceutical industry. There are numerous companies specializing in cancer drugs in Switzerland. Pharmaceutical giants such as Roche are also broadly positioned in the oncology field, conducting research on numerous agents ranging from breast to lung cancer, for example.

Immunology

In immunology, research is being conducted into numerous autoimmune and immune diseases and into the discovery of drugs to combat them. The focus is on diseases that are still often difficult to treat, such as Crohn’s disease or inflammatory diseases.

Infectious diseases

Research into infectious diseases has become increasingly important, especially in the Covid era. For example, research is being conducted into drugs to treat hepatitis, HIV, influenza and bacterial infections.

Neuropharma

Another important area is research into neurological disorders, many of which have not been well treated to date. The focus here is on Alzeimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Huntington’s disease.

Generics

Some pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland are also focusing on the production of generics. Generics are copycat preparations of successful drugs whose patent protection has expired.

OTC drugs

So-called OTC drugs (“over-the-counter”) are available over-the-counter and without a prescription. They also represent an important part of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry.

Picture source: Wengang Zhai

Included information in our database

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Müller”)
• Name of the management
• Sales figures for the years 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as well as employee figures for the years 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements or public directories)
• Field of activity

Note: If the sales and employee figures are not included in a company’s own financial statements but in the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the data from the respective consolidated financial statements are provided.