BB Biotech AG is a Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 investment company

Investment company

An investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. The investment company invests money on behalf of its shareholders who in turn share in the profits and losses....

 in the field of biotechnology

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...

. Since 1993 it is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, since 1997 on the German TecDAX

TecDAX

The TecDAX stock index tracks the performance of the 30 largest German companies from the technology sector. In terms of order book turnover and market capitalization the companies rank below those included in the DAX.The TecDax was introduced on 24 March 2003...

 and since 2000 on the Italian Borsa Italiana

Borsa Italiana

The Borsa Italiana S.p.A., based in Milan, is Italy's main stock exchange. It was privatised in 1997 and is a part of the London Stock Exchange Group plc since 2007. In 2005, the companies listed on the Borsa were worth US$890 billion...

.

At the end of 2010 the six largest holdings in the BB Biotech portfolio were (in order of value): a 3.8% stake in Actelion

Actelion

Actelion was founded in December 1997 and is headquartered in Allschwil near Basel . Its CEO and co-founder is cardiologist Jean-Paul Clozel. Actelion scientists were among the first to work in the field of endothelian receptor antagonists...

; 0.9% of Celgene

Celgene

Celgene Corporation is a manufacturer of drug therapies for cancer and inflammatory disorders. It is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Summit, New Jersey...

; 0.7% of Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics. For many years since the company was founded, the company concentrated primarily on antiviral drugs to treat patients infected with HIV, hepatitis B or influenza. In 2006, Gilead acquired two...

; 2.5% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company with activities spanning the length of the pharmaceutical product pipeline, from target identification through to clinical trials and marketing. Most of its activity has been in collaboration with much larger pharmaceutical firms, though some of its...

; 0.2% of Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services. Created in 1989 through a merger of two Danish companies dating back to the 1920s, it has become one of the world's leading companies in diabetes care, where Novo Nordisk pursues research into pulmonary delivery systems;...

 and 3.2% of Incyte.