Introduction
Pfizer, a leading and innovative biopharmaceutical company with a healthy research and development department and many important health and pharmaceutical products on the market and in development, strives to improve the quality of life for people and communities around the world through increasing access to health products. improve them
This page presents the history of Pfizer and some of its most famous achievements in the pharmaceutical industry.
History of Pfizer
Founded in 1849 after developing the first palatable formulation of the antiphrastic drug Santorin in the form of toffee almond candies, Pfizer products has made its mark on the industry in many ways, including helping to market, manufacture and distribute some of its firsts. Antibiotics such as penicillin – a breakthrough in medicine.
In the 1860s, Pfizer worked to meet the medical needs of the Union Army during the American Civil War by offering:
housing
Preservatives.
Antiseptics
Pfizer discovered and developed the multivitamin combination in 1938, and the company remains a leader in multivitamins today with the launches of Centrum and Caltrate (calcium and vitamin D3).
The first pharmaceutical product to be manufactured and marketed under the Pfizer brand name in the United States was the broad-spectrum antibiotic terramycin (oxytetracycline) in 1950.
In the 1990s, the powerful antibiotic Zithromax (azithromycin) was developed and is still widely used today.
In 1980, Pfizer’s first billion-dollar product was Felden (piroxicam), a prescription anti-inflammatory drug.
In 1997, the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium) was approved and, while still under patent protection until 2011, became the world’s best-selling drug, generating more than $100 billion in revenue for Pfizer, according to the Los Angeles Times. .
Following this success, Pfizer developed the drug torcetrapib to raise good HDL cholesterol (while Lipitor lowers bad or LDL cholesterol), so it may have something in the pipeline to make up for lost sales. This will be revealed when the generic form of Lipitor is approved.
However, in 2006, the drug failed in clinical trials, causing so many deaths and cardiovascular events that it was completely discontinued due to Pfizer’s $800 million investment in it.
In 2009, Pfizer regained momentum and expanded its global reach by merging with another pharmaceutical giant, Wyeth. The New York Times reports that the acquisition of Wyeth has made Pfizer one of the largest and most influential pharmaceutical companies in the world.
Today, many high-profile pharmaceutical and healthcare products are sold under the Pfizer brand, including:
Advil (ibuprofen): A popular over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever.
Robitussin (dextromethorphan): A popular over-the-counter cough and cold remedy
Emergen-C (vitamin C): Dietary supplement designed to strengthen the immune system and help fight the common cold.
Viagra (Sildenafil): A prescription drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men that has become a household name.
Xanax (alprazolam): A popular benzodiazepine for the short-term treatment of anxiety and panic disorders.
Zoloft (sertraline HCL): a prescription antidepressant
Celebrex (Celecoxib): A prescription medication used to treat arthritis pain
Pfizer and anti-smoking agents
According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), addiction is a real problem in the United States, where over 21 million Americans struggle with the disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking kills about half a million people in the United States each year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in America.
In 2006, Pfizer released Chantix (varenicline), a prescription drug that helps people quit smoking. Chantix prevents nicotine from binding to specific sites in the brain, reducing the pleasure people can get from smoking, thus helping to suppress appetite and making the activity less desirable.
However, over the years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued numerous warnings regarding the safety of Chantix, ranging from potential negative cardiovascular interactions to adverse reactions when mixed with alcohol to mental and psychological effects that can occur when consumed. medicine.
Therefore, Chantix should only be used under the direct and strict supervision of a physician. While it can help you quit smoking, it may not be right for everyone.
Pfizer’s work against opioid abuse
Opioid addiction remains a serious problem worldwide. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that between 26.4 and 36 million people worldwide abuse these drugs, and more than 2 million adults in the United States struggle with drug addiction.
Prescription opioids are widely abused and highly regulated in the United States. These drugs are often medically necessary, but they are very effective pain relievers. Many people also need round-the-clock pain management.
In 2014, the FDA approved Pfizer’s Embeda (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride), the third product of its kind, to label its abuse deterrent properties. Morphine, which is an ingredient in Embda, is an opioid analgesic designed to be released in a controlled, sustained-release form to relieve persistent or chronic pain.
Naltrexone, on the other hand, is an opioid antagonist, which means that it blocks the opioid receptors from taking opioid medications and renders them ineffective. The ingredients in Embeda naltrexone are designed not to work when taken as directed. Naltrexone becomes active if the drug is chewed, crushed for snorting, smoking, or injecting, making it difficult to misuse the drug in this way.
Ambeda can still be abused by swallowing large amounts of the drug. Pfizer reports that it is the only extended-release morphine drug that has abuse deterrent properties. However, they still caution that due to the high risk of abuse and dependence, opioids should only be used when other forms of alternative treatment have failed.
In 2016, the FDA approved another extended-release opioid painkiller manufactured and marketed by Pfizer, Troxyca ER (oxycodone hydrochloride and naltrexone hydrochloride). As with Embeda, the naltrexone antagonist component of Troxyca ER remains inactive unless the medicine is taken in a way other than intended (e.g. chewed, crushed, snorted, smoked or injected).
