Pfizer is known for developing medications and vaccines, and for manufacturing them at dozens of factories around the world. Its treatments span a broad range of areas including oncology, rare diseases, inflammation and immunology, and vaccines. Oncology has become the company's primary strategic focus, with CEO Albert Bourla committing more than 40% of annual R&D spending to cancer research. Pfizer significantly expanded its cancer portfolio through its 2023 acquisition of Seagen, gaining a suite of antibody-drug conjugate therapies including Padcev for bladder cancer and Adcetris for lymphoma. The company is also making a major push into the obesity market: its late 2025 acquisition of Metsera brought Pfizer back into the obesity space after an earlier internal program was scrapped, positioning it to compete against dominant players Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pfizer developed a landmark and highly profitable vaccine in collaboration with the startup BioNTech; it also developed a treatment for COVID infections sold as Paxlovid. Pfizer was founded in 1849 by immigrants in New York City, which remains the site of its global headquarters.
Courtesy of Pfizer