Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

Submitted By: Latrell Jackson
December 16, 2013

Submitted To: Dr. Diane Hamilton
BA 530

Pfizer
Pfizer develops and produces medicines and vaccines for a wide range of conditions including in the areas of immunology and inflammation, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and pain. Pfizer's products include Lipitor (atorvastatin, used to lower LDL blood cholesterol); Lyrica (pregabalin, for neuropathic pain/fibromyalgia); Diflucan (fluconazole, an oral antifungal medication); Zithromax (azithromycin, an antibiotic); Viagra (sildenafil, for erectile dysfunction); and Celebrex/Celebra (celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug) (Pfizer, 2010). Pfizer is made up of three main divisions; pharmaceutical, animal health, and research & development divisions. This paper will focus on the pharmaceutical division, with the emphasis on Viagra, which markets prescription and over the counter medications (Pfizer, 2010).
Pfizer’s Pharmaceuticals segment includes its human pharmaceuticals and animal health businesses, as well as Capsugel, a producer of two-piece capsules used in manufacturing prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements (Pfizer, 2010). Most of the company’s human pharmaceutical revenues come from products in three major therapeutic classes: cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and central nervous system disorders. The company also has products for the treatment of diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and allergies, as well as a co-promoted product for arthritis. In 2000, the company had eight human pharmaceutical products with sales to third parties of one billion or more each. These products were Lipitor, Norvasc, Zoloft, Neurontin, Celebrex, Zithromax, Viagra, and Diflucan. Lipitor, Pfizer’s largest selling product, is for treatment of high lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides, in the blood stream (Pfizer, 2010). Norvasc is a once-a-day medication for hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina (heart pain). The company’s other cardiovascular products include Procardia XL, Cardura, and the company’s major products are Zithromax, Diflucan, and Viracept. Pfizer’s other major pharmaceutical products include Glucotrol XL, for the treatment of diabetes, and Zyrtec, used for the treatment of allergies and related problems (Pfizer, 2010). This would help to explain the large and diverse nature of market for Pfizer.

Company Orientation towards Market Place
According to Pfizer’s production concept, consumers will prefer products that are widely available and inexpensive, but in case of Pfizer, as it’s a research based company, most of the products are new to the market which involves a high R&D cost. Therefore, their products are relatively costlier, but they deliver high quality and hygiene (Pfizer, 2010). The selling concept in the case of Pfizer does not hold completely true because, as it is a drug, a manufacturing company, and it makes few life saving drugs, which people utilize.

Viagra
The potential market for Viagra users include men suffering from erectile dysfunction. In 2000, Viagra sales accounted for 92 percent of the global market for prescribed erectile dysfunction pills (Ciment, 1999). By 2007, Viagra's global share had plunged to about 50 percent (McGuire S, 2007) due to several factors, including the entry of Cialis and Levitra, along with several counterfeits and clones, and reports of vision loss in people taking PDE5 inhibitors (Mullin, 2005).
For some men erectile dysfunction can lead to feeling personal embarrassment; Question their role in their relationships; Sense of unfairness to their female partners; strained relationships; Self-Identity problems; questioning role in all contexts of life; questioning place in the world. Even though sildenafil is available only by prescription from a doctor, it was advertised directly to consumers on U.S. TV (famously being endorsed by former United States Senator Bob Dole and football star Pele. Numerous sites on the Internet offer Viagra for sale after an "online consultation", often a simple web questionnaire (Ciment, 1999). The "Viagra" name has become so well known that many fake aphrodisiacs now call themselves "herbal Viagra" or are presented as blue tablets imitating the shape and color of Pfizer's product. Viagra is also informally known as "Vitamin V", "the Blue Pill", "Blue Diamond" as well as various other nicknames. In February 2007, it was announced that Boots, the UK pharmacy chain, would try over-the-counter sales of Viagra in stores in Manchester, England. Men between the ages 30 and 65 would be eligible to buy four tablets after a consultation with a pharmacist (BBC news, 2007). On May 6, 2013, Pfizer, who manufacturers Viagra, told The Associated Press that they will begin selling the drug directly to patients on its website (CBS News, 2013).

References:
Ciment, J (1999). "Missouri fines internet pharmacy". BMJ (British Medical Journal) 319 (7221): 1324. McGuire S (2007-01-01). "Cialis gaining market share worldwide". Medical Marketing & Media. Haymarket Media. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
Mullin, Rick (June 20, 2005). "Viagra". Chemical & Engineering News 83 (25). Retrieved 2008-08-20. "Over-the-counter Viagra piloted". BBC News. BBC News. 11 February 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-10. Pfizer to sell Viagra online, in first for Big Pharma: AP". CBS News. Retrieved 6 May 2013
Pfizer Prescription Products". Pfizer Inc. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
http://www.pfizer.com/products