Pfizer phase II portfolio ‘shows progress towards 2009 phase III goal’

Pfizer has reported that the strength of its phase II drug portfolio marks the company’s ongoing progress towards its goal of tripling its phase III treatment portfolio by 2009.

The firm currently has 47 continuing programmes in its phase II research and development pipeline, together with 38 in phase I, 11 in phase III and three in registration.

Since its last report in December, the company added 14 compounds to its phase II programmes, discontinuing four.

Of the 99 total programmes in its research and development pipeline, 20 are in oncology, 16 are for cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic disorders, 17 for pain and inflammation, with ten in infectious diseases.

Jeff Kindler, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer, said: “The growth of our phase II cohort is encouraging progress toward meeting our target for our phase III portfolio by 2009.”

He added that the company’s drug portfolio is focused on a number of areas of currently unmet medical need, with the firm meeting these challenges with the application of novel science and technology.

Last month, independent pharmaceutical industry research store Piribo reported that Pfizer had topped the list of searches by users of its service.