Genetics Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies

Market cap: US$323.325 billion

Novo Nordisk is a leader in the treatment of diabetes and other serious chronic ailments, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. It has operations in 80 countries and its products are available in around 170 countries.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease researches the genetics and gene regulation of common complex diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. This research generates systematic datasets that help other pharmaceutical teams understand how human genetic variants affect a patient’s risk for developing serious diseases.

Market cap: US$302.612 billion

Founded in 1876, Eli Lilly and Company leverages its expertise in biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine to develop therapies for endocrinology, neuroscience, oncology, immunology and cardiovascular disorders.

In recent years, the pharma giant has put a lot of effort into increasing its position in the RNA-based therapeutics market. As part of this effort, Eli Lilly acquired gene therapy pioneer Prevail Therapeutics for US$1.04 billion in late 2020. The company followed that up with the launch of the Lilly Institute for Genetic Medicine in early 2022 with an initial investment of US$700 million.

"Establishing the Lilly Institute for Genetic Medicine will allow us to pair cutting-edge technologies with our deep biological expertise in several areas including neuroscience and diabetes,” Andrew C. Adams, Eli Lilly's vice president of genetic medicine and co-director of the Lilly Institute for Genetic Medicine, said at the time of the announcement.

More recently, the company further expanded its growing pipeline of gene therapies with the acquisition of genetic medicine developer Akouos for US$487 million.

Market cap: US$263.871 billion

Research-based biopharmaceutical company AbbVie is discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling pharmaceuticals worldwide across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology and gastroenterology.

In February 2023, AbbVie expanded its strategic neurodegenerative disease collaboration with Capsida Biotherapeutics to develop genetic medicines for eye diseases with high unmet needs. "This expanded collaboration with Capsida has the potential to develop transformative therapies for patients with serious eye diseases," Jonathon Sedgwick, vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie, said in a press release. "In pursuing the promise of genetic medicine-based therapeutics, AbbVie continues to expand our capabilities, and we are pleased to have Capsida as a partner."

Market cap: US$121.725 billion

A global leader in biotech, Amgen uses advanced human genetics to develop and manufacture therapeutics targeting a variety of diseases with unmet medical needs. Amgen states on its website that no other company has made a bigger bet on using human genetics to drive research and development. The firm is committed to aggressively leveraging human genetics in its research. Its aim is to move from one-off discoveries and instead take an industrial-scale approach to gene-based research.

For 2023, the company has set its total revenue guidance at US$26 billion to US$27.2 billion.

Market cap: US$81.849 billion

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is engaged in developing, manufacturing and commercializing medicines for cancer, pain and a wide variety of diseases, including but not limited to, inflammatory, cardiovascular, metabolic, hematologic and rare diseases. Regeneron’s product portfolio includes nine US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments, and numerous product candidates in development. The biotech company’s Regeneron Genetics Center is conducting one of the world’s largest genetics sequencing efforts.

In early 2022, Regeneron acquired Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotech company whose main product candidate, vidutolimod (CMP-001), is an advanced-generation biologic designed to trigger the human body's immune system to attack tumors in combination with other therapies. More recently, in February 2023, the company announced that Kevzara (SARILUMAB), which it developed in partnership with Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY), was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as the first and only biologic indicated for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.