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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of pharma

First recorded in 1990–95; short for pharmaceutical

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pharma

The Japanese pharma stock’s technical picture has improved in recent months.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

“Successful biotechs tend to be acquired by large pharma companies,” said Michael Schmidt, a biotech analyst at Guggenheim.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Adding to the hit from the new pharma price rules, Walmart also experienced slower growth in the second quarter in sales of GLP-1 diabetes and weight loss products.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

But executives said they were pleased with the underlying business around pharma, noting growing market share and that health and wellness customers tend to spend more than the average Walmart customer.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

When sales began to drop off because of generic entry, many pharma companies turned to mergers, which added scale and allowed them to strip out duplicative costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026