Pfizer Reveals New Portfolio Goals

Following yesterday’s approval of HIV drug Selzentry, Pfizer chose to issue a statement regarding its clinical pipeline. The company announced that it has 47 active programs in its Phase II R&D pipeline—the largest in its history—and contends this will triple the company’s Phase III portfolio by 2009.

“The growth of our Phase II cohort is encouraging progress toward meeting our target for our Phase III portfolio by 2009,” said Pfizer’s chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Kindler. “With the progress we are seeing in our pipeline, we are also continuing to target having a steady stream of new medicines from our internal R&D, four a year, starting in 2011. Our portfolio is very promising and focused on markets where we see substantial opportunities to meet unmet medical needs with innovative science and technology. We will continue to sharpen the focus and simplify the structure of our R&D organization so that we bring our pipeline forward to commercialization as rapidly as possible and enhance our productivity in all aspects of our clinical work.”

According to the company, there are 99 total programs in development: 38 in Phase I, 47 in Phase II, 11 in Phase III and three in registration, awaiting regulatory action. Three compounds have entered Phase III, 14 have entered Phase II, and seven have entered Phase I.

Among the 47 programs in Phase II, 14 compounds were added and four were discontinued in recent months. The Phase II group covers a wide range of therapeutic areas including 20 treatments for cancer; 16 for cardiovascular, metabolic and endocrine diseases; 17 for pain and inflammation; 17 for neurological disorders and 10 for infectious diseases; as well as gastrointestinal, genitourinary, ophthalmology, dermatology and allergy/respiratory. Overall a total of 13 programs were discontinued.

The development pipeline has 14 biologic compounds, including vaccines and antibodies designed to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, influenza and other serious medical conditions. The company is investing to further expand its presence in biologics and hopes to benefit from “certain development opportunities.”

The number of Phase I compounds, which recently declined, now stands at 38, reflecting both transfers to Phase II and some attrition. The majority of Pfizer’s Phase I compounds are targeted for trials the second half of 2007. New Molecular Entities comprise 85 of the 99 programs, with the remaining 14 covering new indications or enhancements for Lyrica, Geodon, Selzentry, Eraxis and Vfend, among others.

“In the last eight months, we have advanced 27 programs, with the loss of just 13. Our progress is especially gratifying since we are continuing to make major structural and organizational changes while we pursue all of these opportunities. We are revising the allocation of our capital so that we target the areas of greatest medical and commercial promise, and I am confident that you will see Pfizer bring forward significant new therapies to fight cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, infections and many other conditions,” said John LaMattina, president of Pfizer Global R&D, who announced his plans to retire from the company earlier this year.