Big pharma's share price climbers and fallers during the fourth quarter

The last quarter of 2020 saw the beginning of the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines in the quickest countries off the mark and saw some big biopharma M&A deals, most notably AstraZeneca's $39 billion buy of Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Generally speaking, it was a good quarter for share price performance for pharma's biggest companies, with the best performers not necessarily those with the largest investments in coronavirus vaccines or treatments.

Our table below shows how the top 10 drugmakers fared in the stock market, and is followed by our guide to each company's fortunes.