The pandemic continued to remake the pharma and biotech industry this past year. A handful of companies fared exceptionally well at commercializing COVID-19 therapies. This fact promises to lead to sizable shifts in the rankings of pharma leaders. These trends were not yet evident in our spring roundup of the 50 largest pharma companies, which drew revenue figures from the prior year. But in 2021, companies like Pfizer and Moderna sold tens of billions of dollars of COVID-19 vaccine alone. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, significant shifts are likely in 2022’s forthcoming ranking of pharma leaders.

Here, we provide an opportunity to review the 2021 pharma landscape, including stories that received the most attention on social media.

1. Pharma 50: The 50 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world

The top 50 largest pharmaceutical companies raked in $851 billion in sales in 2020, according to a financial analysis by Drug Discovery & Development.

2. AstraZeneca’s AZD7442 reduced risk of symptomatic COVID-19 in trial

COVID-19-tailored monoclonal antibodies and antivirals have emerged as vital medicines in the pandemic. This story summarizes promising results related to AstraZeneca’s AZD7442 in a Phase 3 trial.

3. Dizziness among common COVID-19 vaccine side effects

In the early days of the pandemic, a number of people obtaining COVID-19 vaccines complained of dizziness, leading to a flurry of interest in an article summarizing such early reports.

4. Lupin wins FDA approval for Solosec as treatment of trichomoniasis

In July, Lupin Pharmaceuticals received an expanded indication for Solosec (secnidazole) to cover the treatment of trichomoniasis in adult patients and their partners.

5. Pardes Biosciences launches first-in-human trial for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral

A handful of companies have a lock on COVID-19 vaccines, but competition is heating up in antivirals targeting the novel coronavirus. While Merck and Pfizer have scored authorization for their COVID-19 antivirals, this August report on an antiviral from Pardes Biosciences fared especially well on social media.

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Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Drug Discovery and Development, Infectious Disease
Tagged With: AstraZeneca, COVID-19 vaccine, drug discovery, FDA, Lupin, Moderna, Pardes Biosciences, Pfizer, Solosec
 

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