Bangalore: India-based premier biotechnology company, Biocon, has been ranked 19th in Science magazine's annual global 'Top Twenty Employer' list for the biopharma sector, according to the 2012 Top Biotech and Pharma Employers survey. Biocon is the only Asian company to feature in the list.

These companies were ranked based on six key parameters like whether the firm was an innovative leader in the industry, whether it treats employees with respect, is socially responsible, has loyal employees, does important quality research and whether it makes the changes that are needed.

Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon said that, "This is a great recognition for us as a company and a proud recognition for India as we are the only Asian biopharma company to feature in the Top 20 list. We are in the distinguished company of leading global biotech companies and we will wear this badge of honour with a sense of leadership and responsibility that will enable us to take greater strides to move up the leader board."

The various other leading global companies featured in the Top 20 list include, Regeneron Pharma (Rank 1), Vertex Pharma (Rank 3), Genentech (Rank 3), Novo Nordisk (Rank 4), Monsanto (Rank 5), Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company (Rank 6), Boehringer Ingelheim (Rank 7), Roche (Rank 8), Biogen Idec (Rank 9), DuPont (Rank 10), Novartis (Rank 11), Celgene (Rank 12), Amgen (Rank 13), Merck (Rank 14), Abbott (Rank 15), Genzyme (Rank 16), Syngenta (Rank 17), Gilead (Rank 18), and Bayer HealthCare Pharma (Rank 20).