The cost of prescription drugs has never been higher, and pharmaceutical companies have never spent more persuading consumers that they need drugs they've never heard of for illnesses they didn't know they had. Drug companies are also spending millions defending patents and persuading the FDA to approve new drugs ever faster. Meanwhile, developing countries go without desperately needed drugs because pharmaceutical companies fear that lowering prices for the neediest is a slippery slope. Big Pharma says high prices fund research and innovation.
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.
The ABPI is the UK's largest pharmaceutical association. It has over 75 member companies who research, manufacture and supply more than 80% of the NHS's prescription medicine. It's membership is open to 'all other organisations with an interest in the pharmaceutical industry. A complete list of member companies and affiliates can be found on the ABPI's web site.
The Stericycle headquarters are located in Lake Forest, IL. Stericycle processes and disposes of medical waste.
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.
The Hospital Corporation of America (HCA, formerly Columbia/HCA) is the largest for-profit hospital chain in the United States, owning some 169 hospitals and 100 freestanding (ambulatory) surgery centers in 20 states and six hospitals in the UK. In 2006 a group of investors took the company private in a $30 billion leveraged buyout, at the time the largest in U.S. history.
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).
Vimta Labs is an India contract research organization (CRO) based out of Hyderabad.
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.
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.
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.
