Astra Again Leading Performer, Says Insight

In 1993, for the third consecutive year, Swedish drugmaker Astra is ranked as "the leading performer," by the newsletter Chemical Insight. The ranking is based on a points system taking account of sales, profits, profit margins, return on assets and R&D spending.

Astra is followed in the performance league table by Glaxo, Pfizer, Zeneca, Pharmacia, Teva, Boehringer Ingelheim, Abbott, American Home Products and Synthelabo. Glaxo moves up the table to second spot from 19th position in 1992. The top five companies in the 1992 analysis, Schering-Plough, Ono Pharmaceutical, Johnson & Johnson and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, moved to 14th, 21st, 23rd and 26th position respectively for 1993, the study shows.

Merck & Co continues to lead the industry in terms of sales value, although the margin of difference over second-placed Glaxo is not as great if animal health and crop protection sales of $917 million are taken into account. The positions of the top five drug companies remain unchanged from last year.