Pfizer R&D: The Biggest Pharmaceutical Experiment

In an interview, Peter Corr, the new head of the industry's largest R&D organization, argues that scale, properly managed, can solve the key problem for innovative R&D organizations: the ability to feed both early- and late-stage development. Smaller firms create unbridgeable pipeline gaps by having to focus on the late-stage and starving the early work. Moreover, Pfizer is making a huge investment in attrition-reducing early-clinical technologies, especially imaging, to find biomarkers which will tell researchers whether a drug is working in humans before it begins more expensive trials. Again scale is crucial: Pfizer's investment can be amortized over a large number of projects, making it financially more affordable and productive for Pfizer than a similar investment would be for smaller companies. To increase the utilization and productivity of this investment, Corr wants to increase Pfizer's in-licensing of preclinical and Phase I compounds--a dramatic change in Pfizer's licensing habits, which have focused on late-stage opportunities and the acquisition of discovery platforms.

by Roger Longman

In an odd way, Peter Corr, PhD, has been working for Pfizer Inc. ever since he left academia.

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Business Strategy

Dealmaking Quarterly Statistics, Q2 2025

 
• By 

During Q2, biopharma merger and acquisition deal value reached $24.6bn and drew in $60.7bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $223m, while in vitro diagnostics and research tools players’ M&A activity totaled $802m.

Infographic: How Big Pharma Is Scaling Beyond Pilot AI Projects

 
• By 

Pharma leaders are shifting from AI pilots to enterprise-scale deployment, favoring external partnerships for efficiency gains while maintaining tight control over sensitive clinical data.

When VC Steps Back: Finding Alternative Biotech Funding

 
• By 

The biotech funding landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift. With traditional VC becoming increasingly cautious and selective, industry executives are exploring new avenues for capital. Conversely, this evolution may ultimately benefit the sector's long-term sustainability.

Podcast: “They Are Able To Keep Their Body”: Medipost On Its Stem Cell Therapy Vision

 

In Vivo spoke with Edward Ahn, CEO of Medipost, a Korean company that has developed stem cell therapies from cord blood, on how they are working across regulatory markets to provide a novel treatment for degenerative diseases.

More from In Vivo

Dealmaking Quarterly Statistics, Q2 2025

 
• By 

During Q2, biopharma merger and acquisition deal value reached $24.6bn and drew in $60.7bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $223m, while in vitro diagnostics and research tools players’ M&A activity totaled $802m.

PBMs Tighten The Reins: Value Becomes The New Access Gatekeeper

 
• By 

Facing rising costs and tighter regulations, PBMs and insurers are accelerating the shift to value-based drug coverage, demanding stronger proof of therapeutic and economic benefit from pharma.

Akelos’ Peripheral HCN1 Blocker Looks To End Opioid Dependence In Neuropathic Pain

 
• By 

Akelos is developing a first-in-class, non-addictive HCN1 inhibitor for peripheral neuropathic pain, based on anesthesiology research from Weill Cornell. The compound is designed to avoid the brain and heart, and has shown strong preclinical efficacy and safety with NIH backed development underway.