Pharmaceuticals

ALZA Corporation is a pharmaceutical and medical systems company founded in 1968 by Dr Alejandro Zaffaroni; the company's name is a portmanteau of his name. In addition to a variety of pharmaceuticals, ALZA makes a range of drug delivery systems. In May 2001 ALZA was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in a stock-for-stock transaction worth US$10.5 billion. Alza is the maker of many familiar brands such as Acuvue, Aveeno, Band-Aid, Carefree, Clean & Clear, Johnson's Baby, K-Y, Neutrogena, OneTouch, Rembrandt, Stayfree, and the infamous Tylenol.

McKesson Corporation is a large United States-based health care corporation specializing. It is the 18th largest company in the United States and the largest health care company in the world.

The company purchased HBO & Company (HBOC) in 1999; the combined firm was briefly known as McKessonHBOC. Accounting irregularities at HBOC halved the share price and resulted in the dismissal and prosecution of many former HBOC executives, and the firm reassumed its original name in 2001.

Pfizer is the largest and richest pharmaceutical enterprise in the world. Fortune® named Pfizer as the fifth-best ‘wealth-creator’ in America. The company is a global leader in human pharmaceuticals, and also has a large array of consumer health care, confectionery, and animal health care products. In 2000, its revenues equaled $29.6 billion (£20,14bn), eight of Pfizer’s pharmaceutical products attained sales of at least $1 billion (£680.4 million) each.

GlaxoSmithKline plc is a British based pharmaceutical, biological, and healthcare company. GSK is a research-based company with a wide portfolio of pharmaceutical products covering anti-infectives, central nervous system (CNS), respiratory, gastro-intestinal/metabolic, oncology, and vaccines products. It also has a Consumer Healthcare operation comprising leading oral healthcare products, nutritional drinks, and over the counter (OTC) medicines.

Bayer AG is credited as inventing aspirin as well as many controversial drugs such as heroin, Ciproxin and Baycol. Bayer AG is a massive German based chemicals and pharmaceuticals manufacturer. It has operations in most countries worldwide and had global sales for 2007 of 32.4 billion euro. Its operations are divided into three sectors: Health, Agriculture and Polymers (plastics, synthetic rubber).

Novartis is a Swiss biotechnology, drug, and consumer products company with a U.S. division. It was formed in 1996 by the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Over-the-counter brands include Ex-Lax, Lamisil antifunal agent, Maalox antacid, Nicotinell smoking cessation, Otrivin nasal decongestant, Theraflu for cold and flu, Triaminic for child cough, Bufferin and Excedrin asprin, and No-Doz caffeine. Pharmaceutical brands include Diovan and Lotrel for hypertension and Glivec for Leukemia. The CIBA division makes contact lenses.

Roche is a healthcare company that does diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and research and development. It is arranged in two operative divisions; pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. The headquarters are in Basel and the company has many sites around the world - including: Nutley, Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Branchburg, Indianapolis, Florence in the US, Welwyn Garden City in the UK, Mannheim, Penzberg in Germany, and Shanghai in China.

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Abbott is a health care products manufacturer whose products extend from nutritional products and laboratory diagnostics to medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The company conducts business in at least 130 countries around the world.

Merck is a top-ten pharmaceutical company. It's current best-selling drugs include Zocor (cholesterol reduction), Fosamax (postmenopausal osteoporosis), Cozaar/Hyzaa (blood pressure) and Singulair (asthma); however, the company is best known for being the manufacturer of Vioxx -- the painkilling drug pulled from the market in 2004.