Did you know that some of the world’s most important medicines come from Europe?
From cancer treatments to life-saving vaccines and diabetes drugs, European pharmaceutical companies are at the forefront of innovation. Giants like Roche, Novartis, and Sanofi have developed groundbreaking therapies, while Denmark’s Novo Nordisk leads globally in diabetes and obesity treatments, playing a key role in the Danish economy.
Beyond innovation, these companies are economic powerhouses, employing hundreds of thousands across Europe and contributing billions to national economies. However, they face increasing challenges—patent expirations, competition from biosimilars, and rising R&D costs. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, for example, is up against U.S. rivals like Eli Lilly, while Roche’s best-selling cancer treatments are now facing lower-cost biosimilars.
Yet, Europe has always been a leader in medical science—from Bayer’s invention of Aspirin over a century ago to BioNTech’s breakthrough in mRNA vaccines. Supporting our pharmaceutical industry isn’t just about business—it’s about health, jobs, and Europe’s long-term strength.
Here’s a look at the top European pharmaceutical companies driving innovation and keeping Europe strong.
Roche
Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland
Employees in Europe: 44,000
Major Focus Areas: Oncology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Ophthalmology.
Major Achievement: Pioneered breakthrough cancer treatments and personalized medicine. Ocrevus (multiple sclerosis), Hemlibra (hemophilia), Tecentriq (cancer).
Competitive Threat: Biosimilars eroding market share in oncology and immunology. Pfizer, Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson.
Novo Nordisk
Headquarters: Bagsværd, Denmark
Employees in Europe: Majority of 55,000–60,000
Major Focus Areas: Diabetes, Obesity, Endocrinology, Rare Diseases
Major Achievement: Revolutionized diabetes and obesity treatment with GLP-1 drugs. Ozempic (diabetes), Wegovy (obesity), Victoza (GLP-1 therapy).
Competitive Threat: Strong competition in the obesity drug market from Eli Lilly.
Bayer
Headquarters: Leverkusen, Germany
Employees in Europe: ~42,000
Major Focus Areas: Cardiology, Oncology, Women’s Health, Ophthalmology
Major Achievement: Strengthened cardiovascular and eye disease treatments with Xarelto and Eylea. Xarelto (blood thinner), Eylea (eye disease), Mirena (contraceptive).
Competitive Threat: Biosimilar competition and upcoming patent expirations for key drugs. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co.
AstraZeneca
Headquarters: Cambridge, UK / Södertälje, Sweden
Employees in Europe: 35,000
Major Focus Areas: Oncology, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Rare Diseases. Developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and leading cancer drugs. Tagrisso (lung cancer), Farxiga (diabetes), Imfinzi (immunotherapy).
Competitive Threat: Patent expirations and competition in lung cancer and diabetes drugs. Merck & Co., Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly.
GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Employees in Europe: 32,200
Major Focus Areas: Vaccines, HIV, Respiratory, Immunology
Major Achievement: Launched world’s first RSV and malaria vaccines, transforming disease prevention. Shingrix (shingles), Arexvy (RSV vaccine), Tivicay (HIV).
Competitive Threat: Generic competition in respiratory drugs and strong vaccine rivals. Pfizer, Merck & Co., Moderna, Gilead Sciences.
Sanofi
Headquarters: Paris, France
Employees in Europe: ~37,000
Major Focus Areas: Vaccines, Diabetes, Immunology, Rare Diseases
Major Achievement: Leading in immunology and vaccines with Dupixent and RSV prevention. Dupixent (asthma, eczema), Lantus (diabetes), Plavix (cardiovascular).
Competitive Threat: Losing insulin market share and pricing pressures in immunology. Pfizer, Merck & Co., Eli Lilly, Regeneron.
Novartis
Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland
Employees in Europe: 31,500
Major Focus Areas: Oncology, Cardiovascular, Immunology, Neuroscience
Major Achievement: Developed first CAR-T cell therapy and groundbreaking heart failure drugs. Entresto (heart failure), Cosentyx (autoimmune), Kymriah (CAR-T therapy).
Competitive Threat: Patent expirations and strong competition in cardiovascular and oncology. Pfizer, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly.
BioNTech
Headquarters: Mainz, Germany
Employees in Europe: 6,000
Major Focus Areas: mRNA Vaccines, Immunotherapy, Infectious Diseases
Major Achievement: Developed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, proving mRNA’s potential. Comirnaty (COVID-19 vaccine), FixVac (cancer vaccine in trials).
Competitive Threat: Declining vaccine revenue and legal battles over mRNA patents. Moderna, Pfizer, CureVac.
Lundbeck
Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark
Employees in Europe: ~5,600
Major Focus Areas: Brain diseases – depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
Major Achievement: Developed innovative treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Brintellix/Trintellix (antidepressant), Rexulti (schizophrenia), Abilify Maintena (bipolar).
Competitive Threat: Strong competition in psychiatric drugs from U.S. and global firms. Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Otsuka, Pfizer.