Ranking first on the list of the largest biotech companies in the UK is AstraZeneca plc, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered in Cambridge, England, on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Its product portfolio includes treatments for major diseases in cancer, cardiology, gastrointestinal, infection, neurology, respiratory, and inflammation. It was engaged in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The firm was created in 1999 by the merging of the Swedish Astra AB and the British Zeneca Group (which was formed in 1993 by the demerger of Imperial Chemical Industries' pharmaceutical divisions). Since the merger, it has been one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, acquiring Cambridge Antibody Technology (in 2006), MedImmune (in 2007), Spirogen (in 2013), and Definiens (by MedImmune in 2014).

It concentrates its research and development in three important locations: Cambridge, England; Gothenburg, Sweden; and Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. The company is continually developing and investing in cutting-edge technology at AstraZeneca to enable its extension and accelerate drug development and push the boundaries of science to achieve the next wave of breakthroughs.

Founded: 1999

Headquarters: Cambridge, England, UK

Website: https://www.astrazeneca.com

GSK plc, previously GlaxoSmithKline plc, is the next name that is listed among the largest biotech companies in the UK. It is a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation based in London, England. GSK, formed by the combination of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham in 2000, is the world's tenth-largest pharmaceutical firm and ranks #294 on the 2022 Fortune Global 500.

GSK develops medicines for major diseases such as asthma, cancer, infections, diabetes, and mental health. GSK legacy products, such as amoxicillin, mercaptopurine, pyrimethamine, and zidovudine, are on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. The company developed cancer treatments with revolutionary potential for patients suffering from ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and multiple myeloma. It also produced monoclonal antibodies to help in the treatment of many diseases. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins produced in a laboratory that function similarly to antibodies found in the human immune system.

Every day, two million of its vaccinations are provided, and 40% of the world's kids receive a GSK vaccine. The revolutionary malaria vaccine is the first and only vaccination that has been demonstrated in long-term clinical studies to reduce malaria in children.

Founded: 2000
Headquarters: London, England, UK
Website: https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/company

Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc is a Northwich, England-based company that produces and sells veterinary medications. The firm distributes a variety of medications for pets and farm animals, primarily for dogs, cats, equestrians, and food-producing animals.

Vetoryl, a treatment for Cushing's disease in dogs, and Felimazole, a prescription for hyperthyroidism in cats, are two of their prominent products. The organization of the corporation is divided into two regional divisions: European Pharmaceuticals and US Pharmaceuticals. The company's mission is to create, produce, and distribute excellent products to veterinarians all over the world.

It is motivated by the goal of the long-term development of local animal well-being and health. It has sales and marketing offices in 26 countries, and products are sold in 63 other countries through distributors or marketing partners. The company's approach is centered around understanding customers. It provides veterinarians with everything they need, from common evidence-based treatments to information on uncommon disorders.

Founded: 1997

Headquarters: Northwich, England, UK

Website: https://www.dechra.com/

Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc, headquartered in London, UK, is a British multinational pharmaceutical firm that develops non-branded generic and in-licensed pharmaceutical medicines. Samih Darwazah established it in Amman, Jordan in 1978. It was the first Arab firm to export pharmaceutical products to the United States in August 1996.

By developing high-quality medicines and making them available to those in need, the company helps to shape a healthier world that benefits all of its communities. Three distinct businesses the company provide to the market include generic injectable products; branded generics and in-licensed patented products; oral and other non‑injectable generic and specialty products.

It is a trusted, trustworthy partner and dependable provider of over 760 high-quality generic, specialty, and branded medicinal products that hospitals, physicians, and pharmacists in North America, the Middle East, and Europe require to treat their patients. We have 32 manufacturing facilities, 8 research and development centers, and around 8,800 workers globally.

Founded: 1978
Headquarters: London, England, UK
Website: https://www.dechra.com/

Abcam is a protein research tool manufacturer, distributor, and seller; it's also among the largest biotech companies in the UK today. Jonathan Milner established the firm in 1998, partnering with co-founders Professor Tony Kouzarides and David Cleevely. The company began with a simple goal: to give the greatest biological reagents to scientists all around the world.

Since its establishment in 1998, the firm has expanded beyond only antibodies. It offers antibody-related products such as immunoassays (e.g. SimpleStep ELISA Kits), peptides, proteins, and protein detection products (e.g. immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining kits). Abcam also offers non-antibody products such as biochemicals, cellular tests, and epigenetics kits (e.g. FirePlex Multiplex miRNA Kits).

The company is continually innovating to help scientists in advancing their research by providing products and solutions that are critical in basic research, drug discovery, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. Today, it assists 750,000 researchers in over 130 countries in making faster discoveries in fields such as cancer, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and metabolic disorders.

Founded: 1998

Headquarters: Cambridge, UK

Website: https://www.abcam.com/

Immunocore is an Oxfordshire-based worldwide commercial-stage biotechnology firm that investigates and develops biological therapeutics using soluble T-cell receptor technology. We are a commercial-stage T cell receptor biotechnology firm developing and commercializing a new generation of transformational medications to address unmet needs in cancer, infectious, and autoimmune diseases.

Immunocore pushes science by helping people. Its goal is to provide best-in-class biological medicines that have the potential to change the lives of individuals suffering from severe diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

Its primary therapeutic focus is oncology, where vital clinical studies for the main program, tebentafusp (IMCgp100), as a possible therapy for metastatic uveal melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer, is presently ongoing. In addition, it has a robust pipeline of initiatives spanning a wide range of cancer indications, as well as infectious and autoimmune diseases.

Founded: 1998
Headquarters: Oxford, England, UK
Website: https://www.immunocore.com/

Genus is a global leader in animal genetics. Genus R&D is at the forefront of innovation in gene editing, enhanced reproductive biology, and other revolutionary breeding technologies, advancing an agricultural technique that has been practiced for thousands of years - animal breeding.

The company examines the DNA of animals in search of markers that have been connected to beneficial features for farmers. In an ongoing cycle, it picks animals with the strongest genetic profile from its proprietary and partner herds and breeds them to generate even superior offspring. These superior animals are distributed to consumers in the form of animals, semen, or embryos.

Its mission is to ensure that the global food system continues to breed healthy, productive animals that produce affordable, high-quality proteins for a long-term future. It sells high-quality breeding animals with high qualities to farmers through ABS Global (bovine) and PIC (porcine), allowing them to produce better-quality meat and milk more effectively and sustainably. The ideal properties of its breeding animals are feed efficiency, disease resistance, growth rate, protein and fat content, and fertility.

Founded: 1933

Headquarters: Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

Website: https://www.genusplc.com/

End of the list of the largest biotech companies in the UK is Verona Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing and commercializing new therapies for treating chronic respiratory disorders with high unmet medical needs. Verona Pharma's product candidate, ensifentrine, has the potential to be the first therapeutic for the treatment of respiratory diseases that combines bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties in one compound.

The company's mission is to enhance the health and quality of life of millions suffering from chronic respiratory disorders. The company is led by a management team with a proven track record of discovering, developing, and commercializing respiratory medicines.

Ensifentrine (RPL554), its first-in-class development candidate, has the potential to give ease to patients suffering from respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and asthma. Ensifentrine achieved statistically significant and clinically relevant lung function improvements in the ENHANCE-1 and ENHANCE-2 studies. Furthermore, in ENHANCE-1 and ENHANCE-2, ensifentrine significantly reduced the rate of COPD exacerbations.

Founded: 2005
Headquarters: London, UK
Website: https://www.veronapharma.com/