Biotechnology Product Manufacturing Industry Profile

The US biotechnology product manufacturing industry includes about 1,500 companies with combined annual revenue of more than $90 billion. Major companies include Amgen, Biogen Idec, Genentech (owned by Switzerland-based Roche), Genzyme, Life Technologies, and Monsanto. Because many drugs are now developed using biotechnology, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries overlap considerably. Related profiles include Biotechnology Research Services, Crop Production, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

The global biotechnology industry includes about 7,000 companies with total revenues of $140 billion. Top regions for biotechnology include the US and Canada, Australia, and Europe, according to Ernst & Young’s Beyond Borders Global Biotechnology Report. Top companies include CSL Limited (Australia), Cangene (Canada), Galapagos nv (Belgium), and ADIMMUNE (Taiwan), as well as the biotech research arms of major international pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for biotechnology in the fields of medicine, agriculture, food, and science is driven by insurers' willingness to pay for new medical treatments, the global need to produce more food for a rapidly expanding population, and scientists' desire to find solutions for complex scientific and medical issues. Funding for biotech research is often provided by venture capital funds hoping to cash in on new products. The profitability of individual companies depends on the discovery and effective marketing of new products. Because the market for potential products is so large, small biotechnology companies can co-exist successfully with large ones if they have expertise in ...