Biocon among top 5 biotech employers; overtakes Moderna, Novo Nordisk

Biocon has been named one of the world's leading employers in biopharmaceutical sector. US-based Science magazine's list of 'Science Careers Top 20 Employers' list has named Kiran Mazumdar Shaw-helmed Biocon at number 5. Biocon debuted on the list in 2012 and has been inching towards the top since then. It moved to the 7th rank in 2018 and to 6th in 2019.

Regeneron, Alnylam, Incyte, Syngenta, Biocon,Merck KGaA, Novo Nordisk, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Moderna, Spark Therapeutics have been named the top 10 biotech employers. The company said that it has been listed ahead of global pharma companies such as Roche, Eli Lilly, Abbott, Novartis, and Pfizer in this year's rankings.

The magazine noted responses from around 7,600 respondents from across the world, the company said in a statement. Biocon climbed to the coveted spot on the back of three attributes -- innovative leadership, social responsibility and loyal employees.

"This year, the survey took place from March 3 through May 3, when companies globally were grappling with quarantines and lockdowns in response to COVID-19. In these extraordinary circumstances, Biocon reinforced its reputation of resilience and reliability by continuing to manufacture and supply life-saving therapies worldwide while prioritising the health and safety of its employees through comprehensive safety measures at its facilities," said Biocon.

Mazumdar-Shaw said that the ranking is a recognition of the passion of Biocon employees. "The ranking is a recognition of the passion that our employees bring to the job, which allowed us to run essential and critical manufacturing, quality and supply operations with reduced staffing despite the severe disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, thus minimising the impact on patients and partners. Their commitment also enabled us to rapidly develop novel therapeutics for the deadly coronavirus and serve humanity by fighting COVID-19," she said adding that the company will continue to build on its employee-friendly culture. She said that Biocon aspires to create future leaders who can revolutionise healthcare through innovative products and services.

Also read: Intra-nasal coronavirus vaccine will be much easier to use and deliver, says Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Also read: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw says COVID-19 testing in India can increase ten-fold