2009 Results Announced: Best Places to Work in Industry

The Scientist, magazine of the life sciences, announced today the winners of its 7th annual Best Places to Work in Industry survey. This year's survey yielded responses from representatives of 238 life sciences companies worldwide. Infinity Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, took top honors and led the trend of small company dominance in the apex of the rankings. Rounding out the top 5 companies are GeneDx, headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD; Wyatt Technology in Santa Barbara, CA; Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA; and Pioneer Hi-Bred: a Dupont Business in Johnston, IA. Pioneer Hi-Bred held its top ranking amongst large companies for the second straight year and represents the only large company in the top 5 overall.

Respondents were asked to assess their working environment according to 45 criteria in 8 different categories, including job satisfaction, benefits, training, and integrity. Room for intellectual and career development, a family-friendly environment, and less hierarchy topped respondent's priorities. Additionally, employees expressed the importance of job security, stability, and growth as desirable attributes of their workplace.

"The Scientist is delighted to publish this unique and useful study of the life science employers. We can all learn from the winning companies -- employees that take great satisfaction from their work are likely to be more motivated and better performers," states The Scientist's editor and publisher Richard Gallagher.

The Scientist's June issue, available in print and online June 1st, features detailed survey results with the top 30 companies overall , in addition to rankings of the top 10 large (more than 5,000 employees) and 10 small (1,000 employees or less) institutions.

Top 10 Large Companies:
1.  Pioneer Hi-Bred: A Dupont Business, Johnston, IA
2.  Monsanto, St. Louis, MO
3.  Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA
4.  Dupont, Wilmington, DE
5.  Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ
6.  Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL
7.  Novartis, Basel, Switzerland
8.  Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ
9.  EMD Serono, Rockland, MA
10. AstraZeneca, London, UK

Top 10 Small Companies:
1.  Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
2.  GeneDx, Gaithersburg, MD
3.  Wyatt Technology, Santa Barbara, CA
4.  Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
5.  Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, Cambridge, MA
6.  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
7.  DynPort Vaccine, Frederick, MD
8.  Integrated DNA Technologies, Coralville, IA
9.  Tengion, East Norriton, PA
10. TransForm Pharmaceuticals, Lexington, MA

About The Scientist:

The Scientist, the magazine of the life sciences, has informed and entertained life science professionals around the world for over 20 years. We provide print and online coverage of the latest developments in the life sciences including trends in research, new technology, news, business and careers. We reach the leaders in academia and industry that are interested in maintaining a broad view of the life sciences by reading insightful articles that are current, concise, accurate and entertaining. For more information about The Scientist, visit www.the-scientist.com .

For more information on the results or to schedule an interview with our editors, please contact Stephanie Eaves at seaves@the-scientist.com or 215-351-1660 x3010.

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Contact: Stephanie Eaves Email Contact 215-351-1660 x3010