Pfizer executive on pharma’s post-pandemic future

Pfizer executive on pharma’s post-pandemic future

Author: The National News May 10, 2023 Duration: 22:03
Last week, the World Health Organization announced that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking an end - albeit a symbolic one - to the pandemic. Pfizer, maker of one of the most-used Covid-19 jabs and an antiviral pill, hit a record-breaking $100 billion in revenues in 2022, spurred by earnings from those treatments. As the pandemic wanes and demand for treatments drops off, the New York-headquartered pharmaceuticals company is in a "transition year", chief executive Albert Bourla said on a first-quarter earnings call. Patrick van der Loo, a regional president who oversees the Middle East, Russia and Africa, talks to host Kelsey Warner this week about what a transition means for the world's biggest pharmaceutical company by revenue, how the pandemic changed drug development cycles and what the Gulf's potential is for taking a piece of the booming life sciences industry. In this episode: Pfizer's transition post-pandemic and its role now (0m 20s)The velocity of drug discovery and the impact of the pandemic (6m 52s)The UAE's role in the pharmaceutical industry (9m 14s)Public health challenges and the ambitions in the region (17m 37s)   Read more on our website: Pfizer drops sales guidance after posting 47% jump in Q4 profits Stem cell therapies promise breakthrough in Dubai life sciences Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and G42 launch tech-focused healthcare company M42 Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every weekApple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean

Tune into Business Extra for a clear-eyed look at the forces shaping commerce in the Middle East and beyond. Produced by The National News, this podcast moves past the headlines to deliver substantive conversations with the analysts, executives, and innovators driving change. Each episode leans on the deep regional expertise of our editors and reporters, who translate complex developments in markets, energy, and technology into accessible insights. You’ll hear grounded discussions that connect local trends to global patterns, offering a necessary perspective on one of the planet's most dynamic economic landscapes. Whether it's a shift in oil policy, a tech startup's rise, or a new trade agreement, this series provides the context often missing from daily news cycles. For anyone with a stake in understanding how business really works in this pivotal region, Business Extra is an essential listen, blending authoritative journalism with genuine curiosity. The result is a consistently informative podcast that feels less like a briefing and more like a series of insightful conversations with people who have their finger on the pulse.
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