Pfizer to Cut Back $4B per Year

The $4-billion-a-year cost-reduction program Pfizer (New York, NY, www.pfizer.com) announced last Tuesday will be realized by "realigning individual business lines for productivity and organizational efficiency in R&D, manufacturing, licensing, and in the commercial group," according to a company statement.

The company is cutting back to compensate for patent expirations,falling COX-2 sales, and new Medicare rules, which will whittle lastyear's $11.4 billion in revenue to a predicted $8.6 billion for thecurrent year.

In their April 5 presentation to analysts, Pfizer Chairman David L.Shedlarz and Pfizer Human Health President Karen Katen indicated thatthe company will compensate for the drop in current revenue sourcesthrough:

• acquisition of new products and technologies;

• R&D productivity;

• field force optimization;

• manufacturing plant rationalization;

• procurement;

• shared services;

• systems standardization;

• governance speed/focus.

The manufacturing plant rationalization and procurementreforms have not yet been specified.

–Douglas McCormick