Insulin, Medium 199 and the polio vaccine are just a few of the groundbreaking medical discoveries that originated in Canada. The country’s pharmaceutical industry is renowned for its contributions to global health, playing a key role in the discovery, development, delivery and export of innovative medicines and vaccines.
To achieve this, the Canadian sector relies on a large and skilled workforce. In 2022, pharmaceutical manufacturing alone employed 33,000 people, an 11 percent increase from previous years.
For job seekers looking to make an impact, start by exploring opportunities with the following companies.
Pharma Companies in Toronto
- Procter & Gamble
- Cencora
- Medela
- GeneYouIn, Inc.
- Thornhill Medical
Top Pharma Companies in Toronto to Know
Cencora is a pharmaceutical solutions organization that connects manufacturers, providers, pharmacies and patients to help them navigate the healthcare system. Its services support the entire continuum of healthcare, including supply chain and logistics, cell and gene therapy support, veterinary and livestock optimization support and more. The company is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, with other offices across Canada and Europe.
Founded over 180 years ago as a soap and candle company, Procter & Gamble is now an American multinational consumer goods corporation. It makes over-the-counter products that are also household names, including Pepto Bismol, Metamucil and Vicks. The company operates in 70 countries and seeks to attract talent globally.
Medela supports millions of mothers, babies, patients and healthcare professionals in more than 100 countries by providing research-based products for breastfeeding and infant care, healthcare solutions for hospitals and clinical education. Medela has 20 subsidiaries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia, and operates production and warehouse facilities in Switzerland, the United States and China.
Takeda is a biopharmaceutical company that develops treatments for chronic illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease. It's been in business for over 240 years. Takeda's top products include Vyvanse, which is a medication used to treat binge eating disorders and ADHD, and immunoglobulins, which are active antibodies used in the management of immunosuppressive conditions.
Thornhill Medical, a global leader in respiratory and oxygen-related scientific research and technologies, designs and manufactures mobile medical equipment for military, emergency and disaster environments. Its product lineup includes MOVES SLC, MADM, and ClearMate.
Pharma and biotech company Novo Nordisk researches and develops therapeutics for various medical conditions. It applies advanced protein modeling software to facilitate drug discovery. In recent years, Novo Nordisk has significantly benefited from its introduction of the Ozempic and Wegovy brands of semaglutide, a peptide that is used for diabetes management and metabolic health.
BenchSci is an AI company in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sector. It deploys artificial intelligence technology in drug discovery, which is the research process that identifies useful ingredients for potential treatments. BenchSci’s platform is trained and equipped to perform highly nuanced scientific analysis at speed and scale.
GeneYouIn, based in Toronto, is the provider of Pillcheck, the first platform that combines DNA analysis with clinical pharmacy services. Its personalized virtual medical care service helps patients select the most effective medications to improve their well-being more quickly.
Edwards Lifesciences focuses on making medical devices for structural heart disease, an umbrella of conditions that includes cardiomyopathy, aortic dissection, atrial fibrillation and congenital heart defects. The company manufactures specialty heart valves such as mitral valves and bovine transcatheter aortic heart valves.
Pillway specializes in fully digital medication management and fulfillment services. The company seeks to return to the traditional role of the pharmacy, bridging the gap between doctors and patients with regard to drug treatments. In the modern era, the rise of large corporate pharmacies has made the profession much lower touch — a shift Pillway aims to mitigate by offering medication delivery along with digital healthcare support.
