Pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland

The pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland directly and indirectly employs about 135,000 people. It contributes to 5.7% of the gross domestic product of Switzerland and contributes to 30% of the country's exports.

Switzerland is home to many pharmaceutical companies, including very large groups, such as Novartis and Hoffmann-La Roche. In 2013, 41 life science companies had their international headquarters (and 29 more their regional headquarters) in Switzerland.

A number of pharmaceutical companies are headquartered in Basel:

In 2013, Novartis and Hoffmann-La Roche were respectively the second and third world biggest pharmaceutical companies (preceded by Pfizer and followed by Merck & Co. and Sanofi).

Switzerland is also home to:

Additionally, several non-domestic pharmaceutical companies have regional headquarters in Switzerland, including Biogen Idec, Amgen, Celgene, Medtronic and Onyx Pharmaceuticals.

70% of the investments in life sciences in Europe are made in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland.

In addition to pharmaceutical companies (65 companies), Switzerland is home to many companies in the fields of biotechnology (338 companies) or medical devices and technology (341 companies). According to KPMG, there are 120 life science companies in Basel, 132 in Zürich and 92 in the Lemanic region.

In 2013, 41 life science companies had their international headquarters (and 29 more their regional headquarters) in Switzerland.

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