Company Overview

Pfizer reports annual sales of over 40 billion dollars as the world’s largest biotechnical
and pharmaceutical company in the world. Founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and
Charles Erhart in Brooklyn New York. Pfizer has manufactured a whole slue of products
early on in its history. The first product that Pfizer produced that showed great success
was tartaric acid which was used as a laxative and a skin coolant and cream of tartar
which served as a diuretic and a cleansing agent. Pfizer saw high demands for these
products mainly because disinfectants soared during the Civil War. In 1880 Pfizer
becomes the World’s leading producer of citric acid which is used in newly founded soft
drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Essentially citric acid was Pfizer’s rocket fuel
that it used to propel its self into other endeavors and also substantial growth and profits.
In 1928 Alexander Flemming discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin mold.
Pfizer used a method of mold fermentation that it developed in order to obtain citric acid
through sugar. The discovery of penicillin was merely a blessing not only for the medical
industry but also for Pfizer. I would compare it to drilling for water in the Middle East
and finding oil instead. In 1936 Pfizer become the world’s leading producer of vitamin C,
and from there began manufacturing other types of vitamins and minerals. Pfizer quickly
became the world leader and producer of vitamins by the 1940’s. A year later Pfizer
found an opportunity to capitalize on the Allied Soldiers need for penicillin in World War
II Pfizer quickly dumped all of its resources into facilities to mass produce penicillin. The
success of penicillin was unimaginable to say the least it was regarded as the “miracle
drug”. (“Pfizer”) Fast forward to just last month October 15, 2009 Pfizer bought out its
rival company Wyeth for the amount of 68 billion dollars. Buying out its competition is
not a new practice for Pfizer in 2000 they bought Warner-Lambert for 93.4 billion and
three years later bought Pharmacia for 60 billion. The merger with Wyeth pushed Pfizer
into the number one slot as the world’s biggest drug firm. (“BBC”)
 Top Drugs
All information bellow was obtained through Pfizer’s 2008 Annual Report.
Pfizer’s Key Medicines with yearly profits exceeding one billion dollars.
Lipitor: The worlds largest-selling branded pharmaceutical, used to treat or prevent
cardiovascular disease. With a staggering 12.4 billion dollars in sales Pfizer’s blockbuster
drug is on track to be manufactured generically by Ranbaxy on November 30th, 2011.
Lyrica: One of Pfizer’s fastest growing medicines with sales of 2.6 billion up 41 percent
from last year. Lyrica is used to treat some neurological pain conditions. Lyrica is
approved in markets outside of the United States for management of fibromyalgia and
Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Celebrex: In 2009 it marks 10 years that Celebrex has been used to treat symptoms
associated with arthritis. With sales totaling 2.5 billion dollars yearly it rounds out
Pfizer’s third most profitable drug.
Norvasc: Treats high blood pressure with an annual profit of over 2.2 billion dollars.
Norvasc is the most prescribed brand name high blood pressure medicine. Sales have
declined since Norvasc became off patent and is manufactured generically.
Viagra: One of the companies best known brands. Viagra is the worlds leading treatment
for erectile dysfunction. Since it was introduced in 1998 Viagra has been backed by far
more clinical trials and patient experience then any other competing brand. With sales on
a steady increase since its launch Viagra brings in 1.9 billion dollars annually.
Xalatan: Is the world’s leading treatment for ocular hypertension and glaucoma. It is the
world’s second most leading cause of blindness. Xalatan is a treatment option that
reduces the pressure around the eye that if not treated can cause damage to the optic
nerve. With steady growth Xalatan totals profits of 1.7 billion dollars annually.
Detrol: The world’s leading prescription for people with an overactive bladder,
according to Pfizer it is a condition that affects 100 million people in the world. It is also
considered by Pfizer to be a vastly under treated condition. With just two percent growth
from last year Detrol pulls in 1.2 billion dollars annually.
Zyvox: With profits totaling 1.1 billion dollars annually. Zyvox is used to treat serious
skin or lung infections caused by gram-positive bacteria.
Geodon: Rounding out Pfizer’s top drugs is Geodon with profits totaling 1 billion dollars
a year. Geodon is used to treat manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar
disorder.
Sutent: Although this is not one of Pfizer’s billion dollar a year drugs I felt that it should
be on the list as an honorable mention. With an astounding 46 percent growth increase
from last year Sutent is Pfizer’s breakthrough cancer treatment option for breast, liver,
prostate and advanced colorectal. Sales of 847 million dollars last year and quickly
closing in on the blockbuster 1 billion dollar mark. It is in my opinion that Sutent is on
track to be Pfizer’s next crown jewel.
 Pharmaceutical Sales Job Information

Legal Issues
Pfizer and Bextra: The world’s largest drug manufacturer Pfizer has made a settlement
with the United States justice department totaling 2.3 billion dollars. Stacking on a 1.3
billion dollar criminal fine as well as a guilty plea to a felony for marketing drugs for off
label uses. That is a total of 3.6 billion dollars which steamrolls the 1.4 billion dollars that
drug manufacturer Lilly paid earlier in the year for charges related to its antipsychotic
Zyprexa. Bextra was pulled from the market in 2005 after it raised health concerns.
(Hensley) Pfizer’s marketing team promoted Bextra for acute pain, surgical pain, and
other unapproved uses and dosages, according to the United States Justice Department.
(Pierson, and Pelofsky) Merck’s disastrous drug Vioxx was pulled off the market in
September 2004 after studies linked it to heart attacks and strokes. Merck announced that
it had 4.85 billion dollars in reserve to cover and settle litigation surrounding their
painkiller Vioxx. Seven months later Pfizer took Bextra off the market due to the fact that
it worked similarly to Merck’s Vioxx. Addition to the heart risks associated with Pfizer’s
Bextra it has been linked to serious cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which is a
debilitating and in some cases fatal disorder that causes sloughing of the skin. Before
settling with the United States Justice Department, in 2008 Pfizer had an estimated 894
million dollars in lawsuits brought against them regarding Bextra. The 894 million
dollars consists of 745 million to settle personal injury claims, 89 million in relation to
consumer fraud claims, and 60 million in a lawsuit brought against them by the state
attorney general. (Saul)
Pfizer and Nigeria: Almost 14 years after Pfizer conducted its 1996 trial of its
meningitis antibiotic Trovan in Kano Nigeria. Pfizer enrolled 200 children between 3
months and 18 years old. Of those 200 children half were given Pfizer’s antibiotic Trovan
and the remaining one hundred children received the standard meningitis antibiotic
already approved for use manufactured by Hoffman-La Roche called Rocephin. A month
after the trial five children had died in the Trovan group and six had died in the Rocephin
group, however dozens were left either paralyzed or with crippling arthritis. Pfizer
claimed that its antibiotic Trovan was has a 90 percent success rate and was approved by
the FDA for sale in the United States. Pfizer claimed that it was the children that died
from the disease of meningitis not the actual treatment of the drugs. In 1997 The FDA
advised that Pfizer remove the drug completely due to potential liver damage. However it
was two years and roughly 2.5 million prescriptions later until the harsh side effects were
recognized. (Perlroth)
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