Article

An Open Letter from Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla

As we get closer to an important data readout from our COVID-19 vaccine program, I wanted to speak directly to the billions of people, millions of businesses and hundreds of governments around the world that are investing their hopes in a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to overcome this pandemic. I know there is a great deal of confusion regarding exactly what it will take to ensure its development and approval, and given the critical public health considerations and the importance of...

COVID-19 Vaccine Maker Pledge

The CEOs of AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, and Sanofi, have made a historic pledge to the world, outlining a united commitment to uphold the integrity of the scientific process as they work towards potential regulatory filings and approvals of the first COVID-19 vaccines. All nine CEOs signed the following pledge: We, the undersigned biopharmaceutical companies, want to make clear our on-going commitment to developing and testing...

Improving Access to Cures Through Innovation

Patients deserve affordable access to the best healthcare possible. That’s why Pfizer invests in research and development: to produce groundbreaking treatments, like the COVID-19 vaccine, that improve people’s lives. It’s this investment in innovation that enables our scientists to make dramatic strides in healthcare. Their work advances life-changing therapies for the millions of patients we serve.To help even more patients access the medications they depend on, we need smart public policies...

How to be resilient

In the pharmaceutical industry, resilience isn’t just important: it’s critical. On average it takes ten years to bring a new drug to market. Often, that timeframe is significantly longer. And along the way we face setbacks, uncertainties, challenges, and many times, failures. Whoever you are, whatever your role or industry, you can probably identify with this in some way. Resilience is a person’s capacity to respond to pressure and demands upon them. In the current COVID-19 crisis, the need...

Why courage counts

At Pfizer, courage is central to the way that we work. In fact, it’s one of our values. Far from an abstract concept or goal that we aspire to, courage is a mantra that we hold ourselves to every day across our business, wherever we are in the world, and whatever our role.But what exactly do we mean by courage? It means that we “Think big, speak up, be decisive.” When we channel our courage to behave in that way, we’re able to make bold moves towards our purpose: breakthroughs that change...

The value of trust

When people are asked what they value in an employer, increasingly they prioritize a positive working culture. Of course, not all cultures are alike, and every business will have its nuances. But essentially, culture is a code of conduct and ethics that defines the way things are done, the way you communicate, and the things that really matter. And for a culture to thrive, trust between colleagues is essential.How does trust lay the foundation for culture? Let’s stop to consider the important...

The importance of managing your energy

Do you ever feel tired? Between work, family life, and hobbies, as well as keeping up with chores and other responsibilities, it’s easy to feel like life is just too busy. Right now, while life looks different for most of us in light of COVID-19, disrupted schedules and priorities which need to be juggled have added to stress levels for many of us. As well as managing your time, it’s important to understand how to manage your energy. After all, energy is what keeps us going. At Pfizer, our...

Being your authentic self – why it takes courage to be vulnerable

Maybe it’s at work, maybe at parties, or PTA meetings, networking events, or social clubs, but the chances are you have first-hand experience of the topic we’re covering today. How do we know this? Because it’s a very natural human phenomenon that affects most, if not all, of us: the pressure to conform. We all know this pressure exists, but perhaps we don’t realize just how much or how deeply it can impact us. Its effects can be profound for one main reason: the pressure to conform takes...

How to deal with negative emotions

Emotions are a powerful thing. They play a significant role in everything we do. And, unfortunately, there’s no off switch. What if those emotions are negative? And what if you’re at work when you start to feel angry, anxious, sad or frustrated? We need to find a way to take control, so we can still focus and get things done in this ever-changing, often stressful, world of work. We operate a very community-led culture at Pfizer. We’re supportive. We’re collaborative. In our quest to create...

Juneteenth and the Path Forward

At Pfizer, our Purpose – breakthroughs that change patients’ lives – will not be achieved if we don’t work with our colleagues, our partners, and the communities we serve to increase equity in our healthcare system, reduce bias in our workplace, and build more inclusive communities.For that reason, this week, we are commemorating Juneteenth by educating our colleagues about the historical and cultural significance of the day, while renewing our commitment to our Equity Value – Every person...

Interviews: How To Upskill In A Lockdown

There was a classic study carried out by Dr. Albert Mehrabian in the 1960s. He claimed that only 7% of human communication was based on the spoken word. 38% of the message relied on tone of voice, while 55% was focused on body language. In this moment in time the question has to be – how does that translate to a COVID-19 world? When we’re seeing the people we’re communicating with through a screen. How could you possibly present your very best self to a brand-new employer in these...

Science & Innovation

What Makes an RNA Vaccine Different From a Conventional Vaccine?

Vaccines are one of the greatest health interventions ever developed. They’ve been cited as being as important to keeping communities healthy as having access to clean water and safe sanitation.1Through scientific investment and ingenuity, today we have multiple vaccine technology platforms that have helped us control and, in some cases, eradicate many healthcare challenges such as polio, river blindness, smallpox, and COVID-19, just to name a few.In 2020, messenger RNA, or mRNA for short, was...