Pfizer Draws Curtain On Anti-infective Research; Refocuses On Next-gen Vaccines

13 May 2013

• By Vikas Dandekar

The maker of some of the most well-known anti-infectives is now exiting the segment and will focus instead on prophylactic vaccines where it may face some surprises in combating deadly infections.

CHICAGO – As part of its ongoing overhaul of its commercial and research divisions, Pfizer Inc. has decided to exit small molecule R&D for anti-infective drugs. As part of that shift, the company is terminating a small number of early-stage programs and will now shift focus from treatment to prevention with a deeper dive into vaccines.

Pfizer’s decision to shut down its anti-infectives research signals a big shift, particularly as the company has been at the...