Pfizer To Shift R&D Focus

Pfizer will discontinue development of drugs for heart disease, obesity and bone health as part of its plan to focus research on Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, inflammation/immunology, oncology, pain and psychoses (schizophrenia), according to a company memo. The shift in R&D focus was led by president Martin Mackay, a Pfizer research executive who took over the division in October of last year.
   
“It’s a continuous process to constantly evaluate our pipeline and make decisions based on high priority, unmet medical needs with market growth potential,” said Pfizer spokesman, Ray Kerins. The plan is expected to include job and cost cuts, but will not affect products in late stage development or launches scheduled during the next three years, according to Mr. Kerins.
   
Sales of Pfizer’s Lipitor, the world’s top selling drug, are slowing as patients have access to generic forms of Merck’s Zocor and Lipitor faces generic competition in 2011. Also, the company’s second top seller Norvasc lost patent protection in 2007. In December 2006, the company discontinued development of cholesterol-lowering drug Torcetrapib after it was linked to deaths in a large trial, costing the company $800 million.