Pfizer's R&D czars big on collaboration, quiet on cuts

One of the hottest topics in drug discovery circles right now is how the big Pfizer/Wyeth merger will play out in the companies' labs. Analysts have already been buzzing about the likelihood of billions of dollars in cuts as the two R&D operations are melded into one big outfit. But Martin Mackay and Mikael Dolsten, who will head up the company's two wings of research, are publicly concentrating more on the structure of their new drug discovery domain rather than the number of scientists likely to get laid off.

The two told the Wall Street Journal that the new Pfizer will have 18 separate R&D units, and they're focused on finding ways to make sure they work together, rather than in isolation. As a result, units will be given authority to investigate multiple uses of a single drug in development. And when it makes sense, units will be encouraged to collaborate on projects. Drug design and safety investigations may take place on a company-wide basis, they add, so that they can avoid a "tremendous silo mentality." 

Says Mackay: "There are elements of drug discovery and development where you just need scale."

Combined, the R&D ops at Pfizer and Wyeth spend $11 billion a year. The newly merged discovery empire is likely to operate on far less.

- check out the story from the Wall Street Journal

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