5 Pharmaceutical Companies in Belfast to Know

From breakthroughs in oncology to veterinary medicine, Belfast is a top producer of pharmaceutical products in the U.K.

Written by Margo Steines
Published on Jan. 06, 2025
doctor talking to patient via smartwatch
Photo: Shutterstock

The pharmaceutical industry thrives in Belfast, where the Queen’s University Belfast offers numerous advanced degree programs in relevant sciences, providing the local market with a steady influx of top-tier, freshly trained talent. Multinational and regional companies alike compete to bring innovations to Northern Ireland’s national pharmaceutical market. This growth represents exciting movement in job opportunities and product development across the country, and Belfast especially. Read on to learn about the major players in the market.

Pharmaceutical Companies in Belfast

  • Otsuka America Pharmaceutical
  • Eli Lily and Company
  • Elanco
  • Viatris
  • Parexel

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Top Pharmaceutical Companies in Belfast

Otsuka UK is the United Kingdom’s branch of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, an American multinational pharmaceutical company. “Our ultimate goal is to help people live healthier lives,” the company states. Its U.K. operations target central nervous system agents and specialty medicines, with a focus on underserved conditions and unmet patient needs.

 

Eli Lilly and Company is an enterprise pharmaceutical company. Holding the highest valuation of any drug company in the world with a staggering market cap of $842 billion, the company is best known for iconic products like the antidepressants Prozac and Cymbalta, and for being the first company to mass produce both insulin and the polio vaccine.

 

Elanco is the third largest animal health company in the pharmaceutical sector worldwide. It develops and manufactures medications and vaccinations for agricultural and companion animals. Before splitting off in 2019, the company was a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. For pets, Elanco offers a range of products that protect against fleas and ticks, like sprays, collars and household fogs.

 

Multinational company Viatris is one of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s largest pharmaceutical businesses, employing more than 1,600 team members nationally across two research sites and four manufacturing facilities. The company, which was formed from a spinoff of Pfizer, offers patented branded drugs, generics and over the counter products in 10 therapeutic areas.

 

Parexel is a contract research organization in the biopharmaceutical sector. Its historical expertise, which has been earned over 35 years in business, is in full-cycle drug development. The company also offers outsourced research and consulting on markets and market access, strategy and regulatory issues within the pharmaceutical industry.

 

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