pharma

American  

[fahr-muh] / ˈfɑr mə /

noun

1. a pharmaceutical company or pharmaceutical companies considered collectively.

   He works for pharma.

2. Usually pharmaceutical companies considered collectively, especially with reference to their political and commercial influence.

   Pharma is expanding into China, hoping to replace local remedies with manufactured drugs.

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adjective

1. of or relating to pharmaceutical companies or the pharmaceutical industry.

   Pharma reps don't sell directly to doctors.

pharma British  

/ ˈfɑːmə /

noun

1. pharmaceutical companies when considered together as an industry

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Etymology

Origin of pharma

First recorded in 1990–95; short for pharmaceutical

Example Sentences

Doximity has closed its first few AI search deals with top 20 pharma manufacturers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The company in September said it expected its on-market pharma portfolio to deliver growth until 2028 and be stable thereafter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The BMS-Hengrui deal is more evidence of multinational pharma companies’ preference for Chinese drug assets, given their cost efficiency and innovativeness, said Cui Cui, Jefferies’s head of Asia healthcare research.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Large-cap pharma is at the center of that.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

In the pharma space, Swenson uses the $949 million VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF thanks to its global focus, preferring it over the $946 million iShares U.S.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026