pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Examples of pharma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharma giant, has seen its fortunes reach astronomical heights since its drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, took off. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 29 July 2024

Emergent BioSolutions, a U.S. firm that acquired a smallpox vaccine from French pharma giant Sanofi in 2017 called ACAM2000 that could be made available for use against mpox, has also surged, gaining around 12% on Wednesday and 14% on Thursday. —Robert Hart, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Zealand is one of several pharma companies that are racing to break up the current weight loss drug duopoly held by Novo Nordisk (NVO), the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly (LLY), the maker of Zepbound. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 16 Aug. 2024

Are pharma companies still fearful of the Inflation Reduction Act? —Elaine Chen, STAT, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for pharmaceutical

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

But the rate at which pharmas have grown in size pales beside the acceleration of relevant scientific knowledge during the same period.

—Science

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Another issue pharma will face is an even more cost-conscious consumer as a result of insurers continuing to pass on additional costs to their members.

—Shaun Urban, Medical Marketing and Media

The Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in 2003, and scheduled to go into effect in 2006, promises a windfall for big pharma since it forbids the government from negotiating prices.

—Marcia Angell, The New York Review of Books