Indeed, but we’re way behind in coming to this realization. We needed to focus oncology r&d long ago on areas where we had expertise and legacy like rcc and bc. Other companies - the successful ones we all know about - have done so. We didn’t, and let others build upon our successes and bring in next gen therapies that are displacing ours. credit where credit is due, we have had some success at developing our own lc therapies. Just not enough.
Then we should have spent money more wisely on small biotechs with assets that showed great promise and that were aligned to a focused strategy. We did the opposite, we overpaid for already approved therapies. Or we signed desperate co-promote deals with bit players like EMD Serono. Or we were a 4th entrant into a market.
Lastly, we should have built an oncology team that is distinct from the rest of Pfizer, because oncology is different. We should have brought in leaders, marketers, medical and commercial teams with oncology knowledge and relationships. Instead we took an insular approach and put people into roles where they had neither - including at the very top.
All of this is fixable, but the challenges we face first need to be accepted.