2024 list of top U.S. biotech and pharmaceutical companies based on revenue

Based on revenues latest available as of 2024, Johnson & Johnson was the top ranked pharmaceutical company in the United States. Johnson & Johnson generated over 85 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, which is around 25 billion U.S. dollars more than the next ranked U.S. pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. However, Johnson & Johnson's total revenue includes also sales from their medical device and consumer health divisions, while Pfizer is a pure-play biopharmaceutical company.

Branded and generic drugs: What are the differences?

Patented products marketed by pharmaceutical companies are referred to as branded. The protection of the patent means that the company, which has spent a large amount of money researching and developing the product, can exclusively sell the drug – often at a high price to recoup its investment. Once the patent expires, other companies may produce generic versions of the product, which contain the same key ingredients.