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Read our latest stories on the people and scientific innovations making a difference in patients’ lives.

Real People

Equitable Access to Multiple Myeloma Treatments Can Help Close the Survival Gap

Jennifer Flowers thought her pain and fatigue were a side effect of working out. Perhaps she’d pushed herself too hard or strained a muscle. But the pain persisted, so she scheduled an appointment with her doctor. Her diagnosis—multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer—was unexpected. “I was stunned,” Flowers says. “I’m a health-conscious professional and was exercising multiple times a week.” Her first thought, Flowers says, was “How long do I have to live?” Medical Innovations...

Trusted Voices

Why Compliance Matters and Why Patients Should Care

In 2020, as pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine in record time, the public got a rare and exciting glimpse into an area of science that’s not usually in the spotlight: drug development. Clinical trials recruited hundreds of thousands of patients, while families in lockdown waited, hoping for regulatory approval of a COVID-19 vaccine that would change the course of the pandemic. Along the way, those who watched learned a lot about the technical processes involved in creating...

Purpose & Ideals

Equity in Advanced Prostate Cancer Care Begins with Changing the Conversation

Prostate health is not a popular topic of conversation. Even in healthcare settings, patients and providers might be hesitant to discuss prostate health or cancer screening. But talking openly is not only the key to destigmatizing an important topic, it’s one of the first steps in addressing global health inequities that impact those diagnosed with prostate cancer. “In the past 10 years, we have seen advances in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (aPC), but some people are still being...

Programs & Initiatives

Operation Eradication: The Global Health Community Comes Together to Defeat Meningitis by 2030

Bacterial meningitis strikes fast. Within hours, a fever, headache, nausea, and stiff neck can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, and other permanent disabilities, and potentially even death.1,2 Meningitis stems from infection in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation to the membranes surrounding them, called meninges.1,3 Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of the illness. As its name suggests, bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae (type B), Streptococcus...

Purpose & Ideals

Patients’ Voices Shape the Drug Development Process Through a Preference Survey

Cory Lewis has sickle cell disease. Some days, the pain from the blood disorder hits him hard. Even on days without pain, he worries about his future and the health conditions that might arise. “It’s definitely 365 for me,” he says. As a program coordinator with Sick Cells, a sickle cell disease advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., Lewis regularly educates people about what it’s like to live with this disease—a rare, inherited condition, predominately (but not exclusively) impacting...

Programs & Initiatives

Three Pfizer Partnerships to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine into African Countries and Vaccinations into Arms

In 2020, as Pfizer and BioNTech were still developing the COVID-19 vaccine, Julie Jenson was thinking about how to distribute that vaccine to every country around the world, regardless of that country’s means. Jenson, who is Director of International Product Access for Pfizer’s Global Health and Social Impact Team, knew even in those early days that the ultracold storage demands and shipping requirements of the vaccine could pose challenges in reaching people living in remote areas of low- and...

Living & Wellbeing

Five Ways Climate Change Impacts Our Health—and What We Can Do About It

It took a split second, recalls Louise Proud. Something in the air triggered an asthma attack in her 18-month-old daughter. The baby’s lips turned blue as Proud rushed her to the hospital in a panic. Thankfully, the healthcare team helped the child breathe normally, and she was back to herself quickly. But Proud’s sense of safety and stability didn’t snap back so readily. For her, it was a moment of realization about how the environment and health are intimately linked. Proud, who is Vice...

Purpose & Ideals

Pfizer's Commitment to Disability Inclusion and Why It Matters at Work

When Rady Johnson contemplates the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, he thinks of his son, Michael. Michael, who is 31, has worked as an office assistant at a travel agency for about 10 years. In the summer, he also works on a maintenance crew at a beach. “He's just the hardest worker that you'll ever see,” says Rady, who is Pfizer's Chief Compliance, Quality & Risk Officer. Michael also lives with an intellectual disability. Rady and his wife, Diane, adopted Michael...

Science & Innovation

The Science Behind Migraines and Headaches

If you've never had a migraine, it’s hard to imagine how a headache can knock someone out of commission. Perhaps you've even referred to a headache as a migraine. But if you're among the one billion people worldwide who get migraine headaches, you fully understand how debilitating migraines can be.1 The pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound can make it impossible to work or care for your family. No wonder migraines are the second leading cause of disability.2 Understanding the...

Purpose & Ideals

Counterfeit Prescription Drugs: How Organizations Are Combating the Sale of Fake Meds

In an expensive healthcare system, everybody wants more affordable medicine, but at what physical or emotional cost? If you get caught in a medical fraudster's trap, that cost may be steep. By taking counterfeit prescription drugs (which look real but aren't), you not only run the risk of not receiving the benefits of the intended medication, but fakes can also harm you. Unsuspecting buyers may experience allergic reactions, overdose, or other adverse effects caused by unapproved ingredients...

Living & Wellbeing

Heartburn, Acid Reflux, or GERD: What’s the Difference?

For many Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is as much an excuse to dig into snacks as it is to tune in for the game. Each year, we eat more than a billion chicken wings and 10 million pizzas.1,2 Then we wash it all down with more than 300 million gallons of beer. The resulting heartburn is often enough to raise antacid sales at 7-Eleven by 20% the day after the big game.1 For about 60 million Americans, heartburn isn’t an aggravation isolated to one Sunday in February, but a condition they...

Purpose & Ideals

How To Identify Fake Medicines

Every morning, as you greet the day and shake your prescribed medicine into your hand, you're trusting that they’re authentic. Worldwide, though, counterfeit medications are more common than some might think. Studies show approximately 10-40% of medicines sold in low- and middle-income countries are counterfeit. In the United States, less than 1% of medicines sold in retail pharmacies are counterfeit.1 By that comparison, the chances of your medication being fake are small, but there's...

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