The top 10 pharma companies in Norway ranked by 2019 turnover according to IQVIA data. The Norwegian market is dominated by multinationals, with Finnish Orion Pharma the sole Nordic representative in the top 10 list. See below for the full rankings.
Novartis
Swiss firm Novartis had a turnover of USD 165.2 million in Norway in 2019 and a total market share of 5.9 percent, making it by far the largest pharma company in the country. Novartis leaped from third place in the 2018 list to first place in 2019. Globally, the firm is the second largest in the world according to Pharmaceutical Executive’s 2020 rankings, behind fellow Basel-headquartered company Roche. In 2019, PharmaBoardroom spoke to Judith Love, oncology general manager for Novartis in the Nordics.
Pfizer
The second ranked company on the list, down from first place in 2018, is US giant Pfizer. Pfizer Norway has around 85 employees and had a turnover of USD 134.8 million in 2019, representing a total market share of 4.8 percent. Sissel Lønning Andresen has been Pfizer Norway country manager since 2013.
MSD
Home to 90 employees and a turnover of USD 131.4 million in 2019, US-headquartered MSD is led in Norway by managing director Ans Heirman since 2017. MSD was the biggest investor in clinical trials in Norway for 2018, according to Heirman, with particular focus on oncology treatments. In addition to oncology, MSD Norway also has products on the market in diabetes and infectious diseases.
GSK
British GSK is number four on the ranking, up from sixth in 2018 and with a 2019 turnover of USD 113.8 million in Norway. GSK Norway has 80 employees and company veteran Christian Probst has held the reins at the affiliate since 2015. It has a market share of 4.1 percent and offers a wide product portfolio across prescription medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare.
AbbVie
AbbVie Norway saw a massive leap in the rankings from 2018 to 2019, jumping 11 places from 16th position to fifth. The American firm had a turnover of USD 98.5 million in 2019 and a 3.5 percent market share. Former general manager of the 70-strong AbbVie Norway team Lena Nymo Helli, noted in a 2018 interview that despite being only a small market, “Particularly advantageous in Norway are pilots related to digitalization, as Norwegians are generally very technologically savvy, and the infrastructure is well developed.”
Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences dropped from fourth to sixth place in the 2019 rankings but still boasted a turnover of USD 96.1 million and a 3.4 percent market share. Dan Kemmler is general manager for the Nordics region which includes Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, as well as Norway, overseeing current and future focus areas including HIV, Liver Diseases, Oncology/Haematology/Cell-therapy, and Inflammatory Diseases.
BMS
New York-headquartered BMS rose from ninth to seventh place in the 2017 rankings under the leadership of 13-year company stalwart Hilde Bech who has overseen the integration of Celgene in Norway post-acquisition. The company, present across a wide range of therapeutic areas, boasted a turnover of USD 94.4 million in 2019 and a 3.4 percent market share. BMS Norway has around 30 employees.
Sanofi
French firm Sanofi held firm at eight position in the 2019 rankings with USD 90.1 million in turnover and a 3.2 percent market share. The company has seen significant global restructuring in recent months and appointed a new general manager for Denmark and Norway in Gabriel Johannessen in June 2020.
Orion Pharma
Orion Pharma was the biggest mover in the 2019 rankings, shooting from 25th to ninth position. The Finnish company, which produces both generics and its own proprietary medicines, saw a turnover of USD 89.3 million in 2019 and a market share of 3.2 percent. Elling Berg has been country manager of Orion Pharma Norway since 2001.
Biogen
In tenth place, down from fifth in 2018, is neuroscience-focused US firm Biogen. The company saw a turnover of USD 88.7 million in 2019 and a market share of 3.2 percent. Biogen Norway has been led by Morten Lofthus Tangnes since June 2019.
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