Established in 1968 by French vet Pierre-Richard Dick, Virbac provides biological and pharmaceutical products for veterinary and animal health use and is one of the 10 biggest veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world. Products include vaccines, flea treatments, wormers, and antibiotics for animals. With some 20 subsidiaries (including US-based Virbac Corporation), the company's products are sold in more than 100 countries. Virbac's companion animal segment (dogs, cats, horses) represents more than 60% of the company's sales, while its food-producing animal segment (cows, chickens, cattle) brings in about 37%. The founding Dick family owns about 50% of the company.

Takeda Cambridge (formerly Paradigm Therapeutics) is researching hundreds of potential drug targets in hopes of finding more effective and faster treatments for central nervous system disorders, endocrinology, urology, chronic pain, and metabolic diseases. The genomics-based drug discovery company, which was spun out of the University of Cambridge, uses several research methods based on genetic models and pharmacology to identify drug targets. Subsidiary Takeda Singapore Pte Ltd conducts research in Asia. The company was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical in 2007.

XDx, Inc. operates as a molecular diagnostics company which focuses on discovering, developing, and commercializing noninvasive gene expression-based tests for the monitoring of transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. It focuses on immune-mediated conditions that require life-long monitoring and testing to avoid or to respond to serious complications. The company offers the AlloMap HTx molecular expression test to monitor heart transplant recipients for acute cellular rejection. It is also developing a gene expression-based test, the AlloMap LTx molecular expression test, to monitor for acute cellular rejection in lung transplant recipients. In addition, the company engages in designing a clinical study to create a gene expression test to monitor for disease flares in patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus. The company was formerly known as Expression Diagnostics, Inc. and changed its name in July 2002. The company is was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Brisbane, California.

AlphaVax, Inc. company was founded in 1998 by Robert Johnston, Nancy Davis, and Jonathan Smith, AlphaVax's chief scientific officer. AlphaVax, Inc. company is developing new vaccines for cancers and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, influenza, and other viral maladies. AlphaVax relies on a proprietary alphavaccine system that genetically alters diseased cells and transforms them into a vaccine when they attempt to replicate. Its technology could be used to develop preventative vaccines and therapeutic vaccines. Its pipeline consists of early-stage candidates. AlphaVax receives funding through partnerships and grants.

QLT Inc. company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. QLT Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, primarily in the field of ophthalmology. It offers Visudyne, a photosensitizer to treat the eye disease, known as wet age related macular degeneration; and also used for the treatment of subfoveal CNV due to pathologic myopia, or severe near-sightedness, and presumed ocular histoplasmosis or other macular diseases. The company also offers Eligard product line that includes one, three, four, and six month commercial formulations of Atrigel technology combined with leuprolide acetate for the treatment of prostate cancer. Its products in development include Visudyne therapy; punctal plug drug delivery system, an invasive drug delivery system for delivering various drugs topically to the eye through controlled sustained release to the tear film, under Phase II studies targeting the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension; and QLT091001, a Phase Ia orally administered synthetic retinoid replacement therapy for 11-cis-retinal, which is a key biochemical component of the visual retinoid cycle, as well as OT-730, a prodrug of a beta adrenergic antagonist (a type of beta blocker) under investigation for the treatment of glaucoma.

SomaLogic helps in the hunt for proteins. Its aptamer arrays bind to proteins in such a way that multiple protein targets can be identified at once. Life sciences researchers use the company's arrays to identify proteins related to angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) and inflammation. Data gathered from this work could be used to develop new drugs and diagnostics for a variety of diseases. SomaLogic has partnered with Quest Diagnostics to develop diagnostics that can measure many proteins at once. As part of the arrangement, Quest Diagnostics made a $15 million investment in the company.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its own research and the distribution of grants, seeks to understand disease inside and out. Part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH is the government's main medical research entity. It comprises 27 institutes and centers covering every medical discipline, from general medical sciences to alternative therapies. The organization has nearly 6,000 scientists of its own and gives out some 50,000 grants to researchers at more than 3,000 universities, hospitals, and research labs in all 50 states. Among its vast array of projects, NIH has supported efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine, map human genetic variation, and study avian flu.

Surface Logix creates new drugs by tweaking the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of existing drugs and new compounds. Its Pharmacomer Technology improves a drug's solubility and permeability in the body and reduce side effects. It has a pipeline of pre-clinical and clinical candidates in development for treatment of metabolic diseases and hypertension. Its drug candidate SLx-4090 is in clinical trials to test its ability to lower blood lipid levels, reduce triglyceride uptake, and block absorption of other fats. Its SLx-2101 candidate is being investigated for treatment of hypertension and Raynaud's Syndrome.

EastPharma would like to be the place where east meets west. The Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturer operates via two major subsidiaries. Deva Holdings makes branded generics, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), veterinary products, and consumer hygiene products. Its Saba unit makes generic high-end cardiovascular and pain medications. EastPharma sells about 70 branded generics and a dozen licensed drugs including versions of the blockbuster drugs Viagra, Singulair, and Lamisil. The company operates seven manufacturing plants in and around Istanbul and sell its products in nearly 20 Eastern European countries with an eye toward Western expansion.

Dako makes disease diagnosis a little more clear-cut. A leader in the area of pathology testing, Dako makes instrumentation systems, reagents, and software used by pathology laboratories to analyze human tissues for the presence of cancer. Its Automated Link line of pathology instruments include staining and visualization systems, chemical and antibody reagents, and Dako Link workflow management software. The company also makes reagents used in flow cytometry testing (which analyzes the cells in blood) and in clinical immunochemistry (which measures proteins in body fluids). The company was acquired by private equity fund EQT in 2007 and subsequently divested its flow cytometry instrumentation business.

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