U.S. pharmaceutical stocks are in the eye of a storm.

The sector's seen a good run in recent years, turbo charged by mergers and acquisitions and a spate of new drug discoveries. However, even as the landscape shifts dramatically, companies such as Gilead Sciences, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Valeant Pharmaceuticals have come under fire for positioning drugs at exorbitant prices.

Over the last month, the S&P Biotech index has sharply declined after Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton tweeted that she would tackle "price gouging" by pharmaceutical companies.

Whether you think Hillary was right or wrong is immaterial. Her remarks dampened an entire sector, paving the way for good buys now. Here are three pharma stocks you should definitely consider for your portfolio.

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1. Pfizer (PFE) - Get Report

There's a plethora of reasons why Pfizer makes this list.

The company recently completed its acquisition of Hospira, a leading global player in injectable drugs and biosimilars. The acquisition is particularly important for Pfizer because it further extends its existing product portfolio, adding necessary variance and depth.

Pfizer may be far from the $50 mark it had once hit -- in fact, it's probably moved sideways since then, and for far too long.

However, the company's been steadily increasing its dividend payouts, even after the financial crisis of 2008. From $0.16 in May 2009 it currently stands at $0.28. The dividend yield at 3.3% is also on the higher side when you look at closest rivals and peers.

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2. GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) - Get Report

GlaxoSmithKline is bolstered by a blitz of promising new product launches and a robust pipeline that's energized, stable and boasts of fresh resolve.

For its third quarter, the company is banking heavily on its consumer healthcare segment, a branch that's recently benefited from enhancements in the supply chain matrix and the expanding product line.

Another possible revenue-generator will probably be the vaccines segment, aided by new variants, including those from partner Novartis.

Also, GSK's pharma segment is back on its feet and on the road to steady growth (gauged as achievable by the third quarter of this year). Additionally, revenues earned from HIV drugs and other new product offerings have offset the darker spaces, such as the dip in the sales of Seretide and Advair.

Trading at roughly 16-times forward price-to-earnings, GlaxoSmithKline is not only much safer than many of its peers, but is also lower than the industry's figure of an approximate 17-times forward price-to-earnings.

The company's dividend yield has also displayed a smart upswing, with the trend likely to continue. The dividend yield was at 5.8% in 2014 and is now projected at 6.1% for 2015 and 2016, making the stock a keeper.

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3. Sanofi (SNY) - Get Report

Sanofi is going full throttle after a clutch of dynamic business development deals and is now strongly focused on streamlining its operational pathway.

Headlining the revitalization is Afrezza. Sanofy is pulling out all the stops in crafting a successful launch for this inhaled insulin product, the global rights for which were acquired by paying MannKind $925 million.

Another big positive for Sanofi has come by way of Praluent, the first PCSK9 inhibitor to receive positive affirmation from the U.S., clearing required compliances. Add to this the newly launched multiple sclerosis and diabetes drugs, which widen Sanofi's capabilities, and you have a company that's akin to the companies Warren Buffett likes to buy.

At a dividend yield of 3.3% and a forward multiple of 14.6x, Sanofi is a growth-and-income gem.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.