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

He worked for a biotech pharma company in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Instead, some are buying local lettuce if they can afford it and live near growers, according to Ernest Baskin, chair of the food, pharma and healthcare department at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Upcoming strategy updates from companies like GSK, Novo Nordisk and Roche, and potential gains from AI should help pharma stocks, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Thirteen programs were licensed back to U.S. and European pharma giants—including to Novo Nordisk, which bought a Chinese version of a drug program built on its own discovery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The Chinese drugmaker on Wednesday unveiled a licensing deal for a chronic respiratory disease treatment with global pharma giant AstraZeneca that could be valued at up to $1.9 billion, sending its shares sharply higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026