Pfizer tops search list in ‘merger-fixated industry’

Leading pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has topped the list of searches on an independent research store for the pharmaceutical industry based in the UK, while mergers was the leading search category on the site.

Presenting its results from its internal weblogs for the first five months of 2007, Piribo claims these figures give a distinctive insight into broad trends in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

According to its statistics, Pfizer was the most looked-up company, accounting for 7.98 per cent of searches on the site, while the rest of the top ten was filled out by Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis, Wyeth, Merck KgaA, Abbott Laboratories, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Eisai and Schering AG.

The firm also pointed to the “notable” absence of major pharmaceutical firms Amgen, Roche and Schering-Plough in the list of top 50 searches.

Furthermore, mergers was the most looked-up topic with 4.4 per cent of searches, leading influenza with 3.96 per cent searches.

Edwin Bailey, managing director of the firm, said: “Activity on the website provides a unique insight into which subjects and companies are occupying the minds of those working in and with the pharmaceutical industry.”

He added that the fact that mergers and acquisitions still dominate the industry is an interesting one, speculating that the large mergers occurring over the last year-and-a-half could be followed by equally impressive deals in the near future.

Earlier this week, Pfizer advised its shareholders to be wary of an offer of $25 (12.43 pounds) made by TRC Capital Corporation of Toronto for each share in the company, with the firm attempting to amass four million Pfizer shares.